1 00:00:00,700 –> 00:00:03,820 Now this is the last message in our series 2 00:00:03,820 –> 00:00:08,420 from 2 Thessalonians and many of you have said 3 00:00:08,420 –> 00:00:10,660 to me over these last weeks that you feel 4 00:00:10,660 –> 00:00:15,100 that God has spoken to us in a very special way 5 00:00:15,100 –> 00:00:16,219 through this letter. 6 00:00:16,219 –> 00:00:19,540 I have to tell you, I feel the same way too. 7 00:00:19,540 –> 00:00:22,020 2 Thessalonians, I think from this time on, 8 00:00:22,020 –> 00:00:25,740 will always have a very special place in my life. 9 00:00:25,740 –> 00:00:28,139 I think I will always associate it 10 00:00:28,160 –> 00:00:32,900 with this time in the life of our church. 11 00:00:32,900 –> 00:00:35,619 Now we come today to the ending of the letter 12 00:00:35,619 –> 00:00:40,259 which is as rich as everything that has gone before. 13 00:00:40,259 –> 00:00:43,400 It is a prayer for God’s blessing on his people. 14 00:00:43,400 –> 00:00:45,340 It is a benediction if you like. 15 00:00:45,340 –> 00:00:48,939 Benediction simply means a good word, a word of blessing. 16 00:00:48,939 –> 00:00:51,279 That’s what we say at the end of the service 17 00:00:51,279 –> 00:00:53,480 when that prayer is given. 18 00:00:53,480 –> 00:00:55,540 And we’ve seen that this whole letter 19 00:00:55,540 –> 00:00:57,740 is peppered with prayers. 20 00:00:57,799 –> 00:01:01,180 Paul’s teaching to these people in this letter 21 00:01:01,180 –> 00:01:05,019 is shot through with his praying for these people. 22 00:01:05,019 –> 00:01:07,139 And that in itself reminds us of something 23 00:01:07,139 –> 00:01:10,519 very important, it is a mark of authentic ministry. 24 00:01:10,519 –> 00:01:14,379 You have to pray for the people that you teach. 25 00:01:14,379 –> 00:01:16,800 Do you teach a Sunday school class? 26 00:01:16,800 –> 00:01:18,760 Whatever your teaching role is, 27 00:01:18,760 –> 00:01:23,300 you have to pray for the people you teach. 28 00:01:23,300 –> 00:01:25,599 And Paul models this so wonderfully here. 29 00:01:25,680 –> 00:01:28,699 And so as we’ve seen many prayers going through this letter 30 00:01:28,699 –> 00:01:31,320 we come to the last of them here in verse 16. 31 00:01:31,320 –> 00:01:35,599 And Paul is saying, now, here is what I am praying for you. 32 00:01:35,599 –> 00:01:40,599 May the Lord of peace himself give you peace 33 00:01:40,879 –> 00:01:44,879 at all times and in every way. 34 00:01:46,000 –> 00:01:47,580 Now remember that the church here 35 00:01:47,580 –> 00:01:50,320 had been birthed in great turmoil. 36 00:01:50,320 –> 00:01:52,379 Paul had preached the message of Christ 37 00:01:52,379 –> 00:01:54,680 in this town of Thessalonica 38 00:01:54,680 –> 00:01:56,739 and these people had come to faith. 39 00:01:56,739 –> 00:01:58,779 He had grounded them in all that it means 40 00:01:58,779 –> 00:02:01,419 to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. 41 00:02:01,419 –> 00:02:06,260 But then after just three weeks Paul had to leave the city. 42 00:02:06,260 –> 00:02:08,380 You read in Acts Chapter 17 the story 43 00:02:08,380 –> 00:02:09,839 if you want to follow it through there, 44 00:02:09,839 –> 00:02:12,820 there was a mob that gathered from the marketplace 45 00:02:12,820 –> 00:02:14,500 and they stirred up trouble. 46 00:02:14,500 –> 00:02:16,479 And so Paul has to leave the city. 47 00:02:16,479 –> 00:02:19,460 He’s banned from the city, cannot come back. 48 00:02:19,460 –> 00:02:22,600 And so these believers after just three weeks 49 00:02:22,600 –> 00:02:24,619 have been grounded in their new faith, 50 00:02:25,500 –> 00:02:27,479 they’d know nothing about Christianity before. 51 00:02:27,479 –> 00:02:30,619 They faced hostility right from the very beginning, 52 00:02:30,619 –> 00:02:32,720 from the first day that they trusted Christ, 53 00:02:32,720 –> 00:02:34,720 and it was still going on. 54 00:02:34,720 –> 00:02:37,479 So you may remember from chapter one in verse four, 55 00:02:37,479 –> 00:02:40,419 Paul is saying, among God’s churches we boast 56 00:02:40,419 –> 00:02:42,600 about your perseverance and your faith 57 00:02:42,600 –> 00:02:46,240 in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 58 00:02:46,240 –> 00:02:48,639 It was still going on. 59 00:02:48,639 –> 00:02:51,080 So, here are people who just a few months 60 00:02:51,119 –> 00:02:53,600 after trusting Christ, 61 00:02:53,600 –> 00:02:56,800 they’re being rejected by their families. 62 00:02:56,800 –> 00:03:01,020 Youngsters are being ridiculed at school. 63 00:03:01,020 –> 00:03:02,919 They’re in the eye of the story. 64 00:03:03,960 –> 00:03:06,139 Some of you are in the eye of the storm. 65 00:03:07,139 –> 00:03:09,839 And Paul says to them at the end of the letter, 66 00:03:09,839 –> 00:03:14,839 I am praying that you will have peace. 67 00:03:15,779 –> 00:03:16,619 Peace. 68 00:03:17,960 –> 00:03:19,899 Now, let’s look at this wonderful prayer 69 00:03:19,940 –> 00:03:23,539 and see how it applies to us. 70 00:03:23,539 –> 00:03:26,440 He says, may the Lord of peace Himself 71 00:03:26,440 –> 00:03:31,440 give you peace at all times and in every way. 72 00:03:34,199 –> 00:03:36,899 Now that wonderful phrase in all times 73 00:03:36,899 –> 00:03:39,199 means in all circumstances, 74 00:03:39,199 –> 00:03:42,699 may God give you peace whatever you are facing 75 00:03:42,699 –> 00:03:44,679 in this week that lies ahead. 76 00:03:45,539 –> 00:03:47,619 But I think there’s something more here than that. 77 00:03:47,619 –> 00:03:52,619 At all times means in every season of your life. 78 00:03:55,119 –> 00:03:58,300 And I find it helpful just to ponder that this week. 79 00:03:59,440 –> 00:04:01,800 Think about this with me for a moment 80 00:04:01,800 –> 00:04:04,899 at all times throughout your life. 81 00:04:06,039 –> 00:04:07,899 So you arrive at middle school 82 00:04:09,740 –> 00:04:12,960 and your body is coming to life 83 00:04:12,960 –> 00:04:14,360 if you see what I mean, 84 00:04:15,179 –> 00:04:16,899 and you begin to wonder 85 00:04:16,899 –> 00:04:18,739 in a way you didn’t wonder before, 86 00:04:18,739 –> 00:04:20,700 who likes me? 87 00:04:21,420 –> 00:04:23,299 Well for all of you who are there, 88 00:04:24,799 –> 00:04:29,640 May God give you His peace. 89 00:04:31,940 –> 00:04:34,459 Then you go to high school and you feel under pressure. 90 00:04:34,459 –> 00:04:36,100 Maybe for the first time, really, 91 00:04:36,100 –> 00:04:37,820 and you wonder, now, who am I 92 00:04:37,820 –> 00:04:39,679 and does anybody care? 93 00:04:41,619 –> 00:04:42,920 Some of you are there. 94 00:04:43,920 –> 00:04:48,700 May God give you peace. 95 00:04:49,799 –> 00:04:52,140 You head to college and you wonder, 96 00:04:52,140 –> 00:04:56,000 can I establish myself on a really big campus. 97 00:04:57,100 –> 00:04:58,839 Do I have anything to offer 98 00:04:58,839 –> 00:05:01,480 in this vast crowd of people? 99 00:05:02,359 –> 00:05:06,480 May God give you His peace. 100 00:05:08,140 –> 00:05:11,359 You get into your 20s and if you are single, 101 00:05:11,459 –> 00:05:13,459 you may wonder, 102 00:05:13,459 –> 00:05:14,839 will I ever marry? 103 00:05:16,279 –> 00:05:19,640 Does God have someone special for me? 104 00:05:21,279 –> 00:05:24,640 And then some who are married you wonder, 105 00:05:24,640 –> 00:05:27,200 will we ever have children? 106 00:05:28,820 –> 00:05:33,260 May God give you His peace. 107 00:05:35,660 –> 00:05:37,260 Some of you our young parents 108 00:05:37,260 –> 00:05:39,920 and maybe feeling the weight of responsibility 109 00:05:39,920 –> 00:05:44,920 that tiny life that has been trusted into your hands. 110 00:05:45,279 –> 00:05:48,200 May God give you His peace. 111 00:05:49,600 –> 00:05:51,000 And then a few years later, 112 00:05:51,000 –> 00:05:53,760 you’ve stopped asking, will I be a good parent? 113 00:05:53,760 –> 00:05:55,040 Now, all you’re asking is, 114 00:05:55,040 –> 00:05:57,640 since when did I become a taxi driver? 115 00:05:57,640 –> 00:06:02,640 Well, may God give you His peace. 116 00:06:04,359 –> 00:06:06,000 Last week, we thought a little bit 117 00:06:06,000 –> 00:06:08,619 about the special pressures that come in midlife. 118 00:06:08,660 –> 00:06:11,880 Remember, staying at a level 119 00:06:11,880 –> 00:06:14,760 without the stimulus that got you there. 120 00:06:15,700 –> 00:06:19,579 May God give you His peace. 121 00:06:20,980 –> 00:06:24,299 Beyond these years lie your 60s and your 70s, 122 00:06:24,299 –> 00:06:28,239 when you begin to notice changes in yourself. 123 00:06:28,239 –> 00:06:30,220 You become more concerned about your health. 124 00:06:30,220 –> 00:06:33,260 You maybe didn’t think about it very much before, 125 00:06:33,260 –> 00:06:34,920 and you begin to wonder more now, 126 00:06:34,920 –> 00:06:38,299 what have I really accomplished? 127 00:06:38,299 –> 00:06:40,440 Did I do the right things? 128 00:06:40,440 –> 00:06:44,320 What else might I have done with these years? 129 00:06:44,320 –> 00:06:48,320 May God give you His peace. 130 00:06:50,619 –> 00:06:54,540 And then beyond into your older years, 131 00:06:55,619 –> 00:06:59,640 faith for life is our gathering of seniors in this church 132 00:06:59,640 –> 00:07:01,899 on Thursday afternoons. 133 00:07:01,899 –> 00:07:04,019 And I ran in this week, 134 00:07:04,019 –> 00:07:05,980 ran into some of the folks who were leaving 135 00:07:06,000 –> 00:07:08,059 from that wonderful meeting this week. 136 00:07:09,119 –> 00:07:10,619 I spoke to one dear brother 137 00:07:10,619 –> 00:07:12,899 who was coming out of the church 138 00:07:12,980 –> 00:07:16,040 and he was on a frame 139 00:07:16,040 –> 00:07:19,920 and he was obviously moving with great, great difficulty. 140 00:07:19,920 –> 00:07:21,519 I chatted to him for a bit. 141 00:07:23,299 –> 00:07:25,920 And I said to him, are you in pain? 142 00:07:27,220 –> 00:07:30,140 And he said, no Pastor, he said, 143 00:07:30,140 –> 00:07:35,140 I’m not in pain, but it doesn’t get any easier, you know? 144 00:07:36,899 –> 00:07:41,899 May God give you His peace, 145 00:07:43,579 –> 00:07:48,600 at all times, in every circumstance, 146 00:07:48,880 –> 00:07:52,299 through the whole of life, in all of its sweep, 147 00:07:53,299 –> 00:07:55,739 wherever you are, whatever you’re struggling with, 148 00:07:55,739 –> 00:07:58,839 whatever you are up against, 149 00:07:58,839 –> 00:07:59,940 at all times. 150 00:08:00,799 –> 00:08:02,920 And then notice what else he says. 151 00:08:02,920 –> 00:08:05,799 May the Lord of peace himself give you peace 152 00:08:05,899 –> 00:08:10,899 at all times and in every way. 153 00:08:12,100 –> 00:08:15,440 You say, how many ways are there to have peace? 154 00:08:15,440 –> 00:08:17,440 Answer, at least three. 155 00:08:19,019 –> 00:08:21,380 There’s peace with God, 156 00:08:21,380 –> 00:08:23,019 which is what Paul speaks about 157 00:08:23,019 –> 00:08:25,380 in Romans and chapter five and verse one. 158 00:08:25,380 –> 00:08:28,640 Since we have been justified through faith. 159 00:08:28,640 –> 00:08:32,239 We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 160 00:08:32,239 –> 00:08:35,299 Here is the good news of the gospel today. 161 00:08:35,299 –> 00:08:37,559 And I urge you to believe it. 162 00:08:37,559 –> 00:08:41,599 The Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins 163 00:08:41,599 –> 00:08:44,479 and he rose for your justification. 164 00:08:44,479 –> 00:08:47,020 That means so that you could be forgiven, 165 00:08:47,020 –> 00:08:52,020 and faith makes what Jesus has accomplished yours. 166 00:08:52,719 –> 00:08:55,179 That is how you have peace with God. 167 00:08:56,299 –> 00:08:58,140 Now what do you know of this? 168 00:08:58,140 –> 00:09:00,000 Do you have peace with God today? 169 00:09:02,380 –> 00:09:03,979 Are you running from God? 170 00:09:05,419 –> 00:09:07,320 Do you feel afraid of God? 171 00:09:08,960 –> 00:09:12,580 Do you feel like hiding from God as Adam and Eve did? 172 00:09:12,580 –> 00:09:14,059 Are you reluctant to pray? 173 00:09:14,059 –> 00:09:17,460 What is it that’s got you running from God? 174 00:09:17,460 –> 00:09:19,940 Do you feel that God is against you? 175 00:09:19,940 –> 00:09:22,219 Do you feel that he has it in for you? 176 00:09:23,140 –> 00:09:24,619 That he’s condemning you? 177 00:09:24,619 –> 00:09:27,260 Do you feel today then that you would like 178 00:09:27,260 –> 00:09:29,020 to have peace with God? 179 00:09:29,020 –> 00:09:30,320 It’s a wonderful gift. 180 00:09:32,700 –> 00:09:34,460 And not only is there peace with God, 181 00:09:34,679 –> 00:09:37,960 but in truth there’s a gift of peace within yourself. 182 00:09:37,960 –> 00:09:39,900 Philippians chapter four and verse seven 183 00:09:39,900 –> 00:09:42,940 speaks about the peace of God 184 00:09:42,940 –> 00:09:44,659 that passes all understanding, 185 00:09:44,659 –> 00:09:48,260 guarding your heart and guarding your mind in Christ Jesus. 186 00:09:48,260 –> 00:09:51,539 You see, it is possible to have peace with God, 187 00:09:51,539 –> 00:09:54,900 that is, to be forgiven, to be justified, 188 00:09:54,900 –> 00:09:58,280 and yet still to have a turmoil in yourself. 189 00:09:59,460 –> 00:10:00,719 Now what do you know about this? 190 00:10:00,719 –> 00:10:02,679 Can you say to yourself, 191 00:10:02,760 –> 00:10:05,760 be at rest, O my soul, 192 00:10:06,919 –> 00:10:08,539 because God has been good to you? 193 00:10:08,539 –> 00:10:11,659 That’s Psalm 116 and verse seven. 194 00:10:11,659 –> 00:10:14,640 What do you know of peace within your own soul? 195 00:10:16,400 –> 00:10:18,419 And then there’s a third kind of peace, 196 00:10:18,419 –> 00:10:20,340 and that is, of course, peace towards others. 197 00:10:20,340 –> 00:10:22,739 Romans chapter 12 and verse 18, 198 00:10:22,739 –> 00:10:24,559 Paul says, if it is possible, 199 00:10:25,659 –> 00:10:28,419 as far as it depends on you, 200 00:10:29,380 –> 00:10:30,940 live at peace with everyone. 201 00:10:31,820 –> 00:10:33,619 Now you see the importance of what he’s saying. 202 00:10:33,619 –> 00:10:35,880 You can’t control what others do. 203 00:10:36,979 –> 00:10:38,580 In a situation of conflict, 204 00:10:38,580 –> 00:10:41,260 you can’t control what other people say 205 00:10:41,260 –> 00:10:42,820 to you or about you, 206 00:10:44,419 –> 00:10:48,059 but what God says is, now, look at your own part here, 207 00:10:49,140 –> 00:10:51,340 and, as far as it depends on you, 208 00:10:52,260 –> 00:10:55,179 live at peace with everyone. 209 00:10:56,059 –> 00:10:58,780 In other words, if someone hurts you deeply, 210 00:10:58,840 –> 00:11:02,380 it will open up wounds, and when you are wounded, 211 00:11:02,380 –> 00:11:04,739 these wounds can easily fester 212 00:11:05,580 –> 00:11:09,340 with bitterness, with pride, 213 00:11:09,340 –> 00:11:11,539 and even with hatred, 214 00:11:11,539 –> 00:11:13,179 and then you hear, as a Christian, 215 00:11:13,179 –> 00:11:15,280 Jesus say, now, love your enemies 216 00:11:15,280 –> 00:11:17,820 and pray for those who persecute you. 217 00:11:17,820 –> 00:11:19,359 What do you know of this? 218 00:11:20,780 –> 00:11:22,400 Do you need to know more of the peace 219 00:11:22,400 –> 00:11:24,099 that would enable you to do that? 220 00:11:24,859 –> 00:11:29,140 So this is a remarkable, wonderful, 221 00:11:29,140 –> 00:11:33,359 profound, lifelong prayer. 222 00:11:34,500 –> 00:11:36,940 Not only that you will have peace, 223 00:11:36,940 –> 00:11:40,760 but that you will have it at all times, 224 00:11:40,760 –> 00:11:44,780 and that you will have it in every way, 225 00:11:44,780 –> 00:11:47,359 peace with God, peace in yourself, 226 00:11:47,359 –> 00:11:49,479 and as far as it depends upon you, 227 00:11:49,479 –> 00:11:50,780 even when you’re wounded, 228 00:11:50,780 –> 00:11:52,580 that there will be a peace, 229 00:11:52,599 –> 00:11:57,599 not hatred that emanates from you towards others. 230 00:11:58,039 –> 00:11:59,679 That’s what he’s asking God for. 231 00:12:01,000 –> 00:12:02,739 It’s a remarkable prayer, isn’t? 232 00:12:04,780 –> 00:12:06,440 Now, when you think about the prayer 233 00:12:06,440 –> 00:12:08,000 and you see the scope of it, 234 00:12:08,000 –> 00:12:10,739 peace at all times, and in every way, 235 00:12:10,739 –> 00:12:12,859 inevitably you will ask this question, 236 00:12:12,859 –> 00:12:15,219 as I have asked the question coming to the Bible, 237 00:12:15,219 –> 00:12:17,859 well, now, how is this possible? 238 00:12:19,039 –> 00:12:20,419 How is it possible? 239 00:12:21,359 –> 00:12:25,119 For an ordinary person like you or like me 240 00:12:25,119 –> 00:12:30,119 to have peace at all times and in every way. 241 00:12:31,640 –> 00:12:35,099 And I want you to notice here how he introduces 242 00:12:35,099 –> 00:12:39,340 the person of our Lord, Jesus Christ. 243 00:12:39,340 –> 00:12:41,780 And He introduces the Lord Jesus Christ 244 00:12:41,780 –> 00:12:44,479 by this wonderful name in verse 16. 245 00:12:44,479 –> 00:12:46,739 He calls Him, gives Him this title, 246 00:12:46,760 –> 00:12:51,260 The Lord of Peace, The Lord of Peace. 247 00:12:51,260 –> 00:12:54,979 By the way, the Bible uses so many names 248 00:12:54,979 –> 00:12:58,739 and titles for our Lord, Jesus Christ. 249 00:12:58,739 –> 00:13:03,739 Human language can barely convey the depth, 250 00:13:03,960 –> 00:13:08,799 the wonder, the glory of who Jesus Christ is 251 00:13:08,799 –> 00:13:12,119 and what Jesus Christ does. 252 00:13:12,159 –> 00:13:17,159 And so here is one of many, many, many titles of Christ 253 00:13:17,739 –> 00:13:20,219 that are given to us in the scripture, 254 00:13:20,219 –> 00:13:23,919 He is the Lord of Peace. 255 00:13:25,500 –> 00:13:26,799 Now, you say, now what does that mean? 256 00:13:26,799 –> 00:13:29,080 Well, it means first that He has peace, 257 00:13:29,080 –> 00:13:30,359 He has it in Himself. 258 00:13:31,640 –> 00:13:33,820 He has peace, that is why He is able to say 259 00:13:33,820 –> 00:13:37,479 to His disciples, my peace I give to you, 260 00:13:37,479 –> 00:13:40,140 what I have in myself, I can give to you. 261 00:13:42,140 –> 00:13:44,400 It means that Christ makes peace, 262 00:13:44,400 –> 00:13:46,679 that’s what it means that He’s the Lord of Peace, 263 00:13:46,679 –> 00:13:49,400 this is why He came into the world. 264 00:13:49,400 –> 00:13:52,159 He came to make peace between God and us, 265 00:13:52,159 –> 00:13:55,260 we celebrate this today around the Lord’s table 266 00:13:55,260 –> 00:13:57,919 as we take bread and wine in a few minutes time. 267 00:13:59,919 –> 00:14:02,679 This is why the angels said when the Lord Jesus Christ 268 00:14:02,679 –> 00:14:05,719 was born into the world, peace to men, 269 00:14:05,719 –> 00:14:07,440 because this is why He was born. 270 00:14:07,619 –> 00:14:10,000 And He has made this peace, how? 271 00:14:10,000 –> 00:14:15,000 By shedding his blood, that is what he did on the cross. 272 00:14:16,200 –> 00:14:18,919 And he’s the Lord of Peace not only because He has peace 273 00:14:18,919 –> 00:14:22,239 and because He makes peace, but because He gives peace. 274 00:14:22,239 –> 00:14:24,559 And that’s the particular point 275 00:14:24,559 –> 00:14:26,520 that Paul is making in this verse, 276 00:14:26,520 –> 00:14:30,799 may the Lord of Peace Himself give you peace. 277 00:14:30,799 –> 00:14:34,479 He has peace, He makes peace, He gives peace, 278 00:14:34,479 –> 00:14:37,900 that’s what it means for Him to be the Lord of Peace, 279 00:14:39,119 –> 00:14:41,940 the Lord of Peace. 280 00:14:42,880 –> 00:14:46,059 The word Lord has authority in it, doesn’t it? 281 00:14:46,059 –> 00:14:50,859 That means He has command over peace, 282 00:14:50,859 –> 00:14:55,020 peace goes where He sends it. 283 00:14:55,020 –> 00:14:57,700 And of course, the most obvious illustration of that 284 00:14:57,700 –> 00:15:00,219 is the occasion when Jesus was in a boat, 285 00:15:00,219 –> 00:15:01,559 you remember the story well. 286 00:15:01,659 –> 00:15:04,559 A storm rises on the Sea of Galilee 287 00:15:04,559 –> 00:15:06,880 and the whole lake is in turmoil 288 00:15:06,880 –> 00:15:09,559 and the disciples are there in a panic 289 00:15:09,559 –> 00:15:12,340 and Jesus speaks and remember what He says, 290 00:15:12,340 –> 00:15:14,739 peace be still. 291 00:15:15,760 –> 00:15:20,760 And as He speaks, He imparts peace to the lake. 292 00:15:21,760 –> 00:15:22,760 He imparts it. 293 00:15:22,760 –> 00:15:25,479 That’s what it means to be the Lord of Peace. 294 00:15:27,080 –> 00:15:30,239 Now, Paul is saying, this is what I am asking. 295 00:15:30,239 –> 00:15:34,299 This Lord, Jesus Christ, your Savior to do for you. 296 00:15:34,299 –> 00:15:38,020 May the Lord of Peace give you peace. 297 00:15:38,020 –> 00:15:40,280 The peace that is in Himself. 298 00:15:40,280 –> 00:15:41,919 Because He is Lord over peace. 299 00:15:41,919 –> 00:15:44,599 That means He commands it, He gives it, He sends it. 300 00:15:44,599 –> 00:15:47,780 He says to peace. 301 00:15:47,780 –> 00:15:52,059 Go fill the heart of that anxious person. 302 00:15:52,059 –> 00:15:57,119 He’s the Lord of Peace and peace goes where He sends it. 303 00:15:57,119 –> 00:15:58,979 And notice that this is something 304 00:15:59,099 –> 00:16:01,219 that Jesus Christ does Himself. 305 00:16:01,219 –> 00:16:06,219 May the Lord of Peace Himself give you peace. 306 00:16:07,039 –> 00:16:11,520 This is a direct ministry of Jesus Christ to your soul. 307 00:16:11,520 –> 00:16:13,219 He knows what you’re worried about. 308 00:16:13,219 –> 00:16:15,039 He knows what you’re anxious over. 309 00:16:16,340 –> 00:16:17,479 And he’s able to do this, 310 00:16:17,479 –> 00:16:19,979 and Paul says as I think of all that you’re facing. 311 00:16:19,979 –> 00:16:22,580 This is what I’m on my knees praying for you. 312 00:16:23,520 –> 00:16:28,520 That the Lord of Peace Himself will give to you 313 00:16:29,539 –> 00:16:34,539 peace at all times, and in every way. 314 00:16:37,080 –> 00:16:39,700 So this peace can be yours. 315 00:16:39,700 –> 00:16:42,419 It’s a peace that Christ has died to secure, 316 00:16:42,419 –> 00:16:45,460 and it is a peace that Christ lives to give. 317 00:16:47,080 –> 00:16:49,479 This is a wonderful prayer that you can make to your own. 318 00:16:49,479 –> 00:16:51,900 We’ve been learning how to pray throughout this series. 319 00:16:51,900 –> 00:16:53,460 Add this to your prayer list. 320 00:16:53,460 –> 00:16:55,700 Here’s something for you to pray for yourself. 321 00:16:55,700 –> 00:16:57,880 Here is something for you to pray for your friends. 322 00:16:57,880 –> 00:17:02,760 May the Lord of peace himself give you peace 323 00:17:02,760 –> 00:17:07,760 at all times and in every way. 324 00:17:09,180 –> 00:17:10,380 It’s a beautiful prayer. 325 00:17:12,800 –> 00:17:15,800 Now I’m reading through this chapter, 326 00:17:15,800 –> 00:17:20,239 and when I get to this point, I’m asking a question. 327 00:17:21,479 –> 00:17:23,180 Why doesn’t he end there? 328 00:17:24,020 –> 00:17:26,140 Don’t you think that would be 329 00:17:26,140 –> 00:17:29,560 the perfect ending for this letter? 330 00:17:30,979 –> 00:17:33,939 Don’t you think you could just put a period 331 00:17:33,939 –> 00:17:38,000 at the end of that and say, that’s the perfect close. 332 00:17:39,319 –> 00:17:41,040 May the Lord himself give you peace. 333 00:17:41,040 –> 00:17:43,160 And then then you look and you say, 334 00:17:43,160 –> 00:17:45,819 he goes on about writing greetings in his own hand 335 00:17:45,819 –> 00:17:47,119 and adding a couple of things here, 336 00:17:47,119 –> 00:17:49,040 you think now, what’s happening? 337 00:17:49,040 –> 00:17:49,880 Why does he go on? 338 00:17:49,880 –> 00:17:50,699 Why didn’t he just stop? 339 00:17:51,540 –> 00:17:54,660 Come on, let me suggest this to you 340 00:17:54,660 –> 00:17:57,280 and I think there is something very wonderful here. 341 00:17:58,660 –> 00:18:02,000 We need not only to ask for peace, 342 00:18:03,040 –> 00:18:05,900 but we also need to know how to receive it. 343 00:18:07,420 –> 00:18:09,339 You need that, I need that. 344 00:18:10,339 –> 00:18:11,260 I pray. 345 00:18:13,060 –> 00:18:14,400 And what do I do next? 346 00:18:15,900 –> 00:18:18,760 I need to know not only that I can ask 347 00:18:18,760 –> 00:18:20,680 the Lord of peace for this marvelous gift, 348 00:18:20,680 –> 00:18:25,359 but I also need to know how can I receive it? 349 00:18:26,540 –> 00:18:29,719 And remember, this is a real letter that is being written 350 00:18:29,719 –> 00:18:32,819 to these people who are facing extraordinary difficulties. 351 00:18:32,819 –> 00:18:36,739 Like us, they didn’t know what the future holds. 352 00:18:36,739 –> 00:18:39,099 They have many fears. 353 00:18:39,099 –> 00:18:42,540 They have to know how to get up on Monday and face life 354 00:18:42,540 –> 00:18:44,599 just as you have to do that 355 00:18:44,599 –> 00:18:48,319 in the week that lies ahead of you. 356 00:18:49,140 –> 00:18:51,439 And let me simply say this, 357 00:18:51,439 –> 00:18:54,719 it’s a very important principle to understand 358 00:18:54,719 –> 00:18:58,380 that the worst thing you can ever do with your fears 359 00:18:58,380 –> 00:18:59,979 is to suppress them. 360 00:19:01,079 –> 00:19:02,500 The worst thing you can ever do 361 00:19:03,300 –> 00:19:04,719 is to try and push them away. 362 00:19:04,719 –> 00:19:07,800 Listen, fear is like a coiled spring. 363 00:19:09,079 –> 00:19:11,640 The more you compress it, 364 00:19:11,640 –> 00:19:14,420 the more it presses back against you, 365 00:19:14,420 –> 00:19:15,920 the harder it becomes. 366 00:19:15,920 –> 00:19:17,839 You’re trying to push your fears down, push them away. 367 00:19:17,880 –> 00:19:19,280 Don’t think about it, don’t think about it, 368 00:19:19,280 –> 00:19:20,140 don’t think about it. 369 00:19:20,140 –> 00:19:22,439 You know what, you think about it. 370 00:19:22,439 –> 00:19:26,800 You can’t beat fear that way. 371 00:19:26,800 –> 00:19:29,040 There is only one way to deal 372 00:19:29,040 –> 00:19:32,359 with the lurking fears of our lives. 373 00:19:32,359 –> 00:19:35,660 And that is to bring them out into the open 374 00:19:35,660 –> 00:19:39,319 and to face them at their worst. 375 00:19:41,400 –> 00:19:44,619 It doesn’t help to say, 376 00:19:44,619 –> 00:19:46,959 don’t worry it might never happen. 377 00:19:46,979 –> 00:19:48,199 Don’t say that to yourself, 378 00:19:48,199 –> 00:19:49,579 don’t say that to someone else. 379 00:19:49,579 –> 00:19:51,680 It’s never helpful, 380 00:19:51,680 –> 00:19:54,380 because it merely leads to you saying, 381 00:19:54,380 –> 00:19:55,939 Yeah, but what if it does? 382 00:19:55,939 –> 00:19:57,140 What if it does happen? 383 00:19:58,699 –> 00:20:00,560 What if I do have cancer? 384 00:20:02,900 –> 00:20:04,760 What if I do lose my job? 385 00:20:06,520 –> 00:20:08,180 What if I am left alone? 386 00:20:10,520 –> 00:20:13,540 What if that court judgment does go against me? 387 00:20:15,359 –> 00:20:16,599 Well, you see there will be times 388 00:20:16,619 –> 00:20:19,040 when you lie awake at night 389 00:20:19,040 –> 00:20:21,699 and you are worrying about these things 390 00:20:21,699 –> 00:20:24,219 and you say, Oh God, give me peace. 391 00:20:25,280 –> 00:20:26,939 And what are you going to do next? 392 00:20:28,420 –> 00:20:30,560 What if the unthinkable happens? 393 00:20:30,560 –> 00:20:32,900 What if you face the nightmare scenario 394 00:20:32,900 –> 00:20:34,260 that you’re trying not to admit 395 00:20:34,260 –> 00:20:35,800 and push away all the time? 396 00:20:37,800 –> 00:20:41,219 Well, here’s what you can do in these times. 397 00:20:41,219 –> 00:20:44,300 You can ask Christ to give you peace 398 00:20:44,959 –> 00:20:47,760 and that’s why the letter doesn’t end here. 399 00:20:48,859 –> 00:20:53,099 You can remind yourself of the foundation 400 00:20:53,099 –> 00:20:55,640 on which peace rests. 401 00:20:55,640 –> 00:20:56,699 That’s very important. 402 00:20:57,660 –> 00:20:59,959 You can ask Christ for peace 403 00:20:59,959 –> 00:21:03,719 and you can remind yourself 404 00:21:03,719 –> 00:21:08,739 of the foundation on which peace rests. 405 00:21:09,660 –> 00:21:11,339 In other words, this prayer for peace, 406 00:21:11,380 –> 00:21:14,780 it’s not some kind of helpless cry in the dark. 407 00:21:14,780 –> 00:21:18,180 It is grounded in the promise of God 408 00:21:18,180 –> 00:21:20,020 and as you make this prayer, 409 00:21:20,020 –> 00:21:23,380 you are to bring to mind what Paul does here, 410 00:21:23,380 –> 00:21:28,380 which is the foundation on which this peace of God rests. 411 00:21:29,699 –> 00:21:31,180 You say, what is the foundation? 412 00:21:31,180 –> 00:21:33,479 It’s just in three simple parts, very briefly, 413 00:21:34,560 –> 00:21:36,660 but they will be so helpful to you 414 00:21:36,660 –> 00:21:38,579 on those occasions when you worry 415 00:21:39,520 –> 00:21:41,140 and when you lie awake at night. 416 00:21:41,959 –> 00:21:46,439 And you say, what if that does happen? 417 00:21:48,520 –> 00:21:50,520 Here’s the foundation of peace, 418 00:21:51,880 –> 00:21:54,140 God’s presence is with me. 419 00:21:55,239 –> 00:22:00,239 You see that in verse 16, the Lord be with all of you, 420 00:22:01,459 –> 00:22:03,199 the Lord be with all of you. 421 00:22:04,680 –> 00:22:06,420 Now there is a special beauty in this 422 00:22:06,420 –> 00:22:08,579 because remember, the apostle Paul 423 00:22:08,579 –> 00:22:11,180 could not be with all of them. 424 00:22:11,219 –> 00:22:13,160 He had led them to Christ, 425 00:22:13,160 –> 00:22:15,020 he had established them as disciples, 426 00:22:15,020 –> 00:22:16,699 he was their father in the faith. 427 00:22:16,699 –> 00:22:19,140 He was the one that they looked to, 428 00:22:19,140 –> 00:22:21,900 he was the gift of God to them in their lives. 429 00:22:21,900 –> 00:22:24,579 But after just three weeks, he had been taken from them 430 00:22:24,579 –> 00:22:26,760 and he was not able to return to the city. 431 00:22:28,439 –> 00:22:30,699 So now you think for a moment of the circle 432 00:22:30,699 –> 00:22:33,140 of people that God has placed around you, 433 00:22:33,140 –> 00:22:34,339 the people who you look to, 434 00:22:34,339 –> 00:22:36,380 the people who mean much in your life, 435 00:22:36,380 –> 00:22:38,900 family, friends, colleagues. 436 00:22:38,939 –> 00:22:42,619 Who is the person on whom you lean most for help? 437 00:22:44,020 –> 00:22:45,699 And when you think about that person 438 00:22:45,699 –> 00:22:47,319 and all that they mean to you, 439 00:22:47,319 –> 00:22:48,979 maybe you say sometimes, 440 00:22:48,979 –> 00:22:51,819 what would I do without him? 441 00:22:53,260 –> 00:22:56,560 What would I do about without her? 442 00:22:57,900 –> 00:22:59,060 And here’s your answer. 443 00:23:00,140 –> 00:23:04,300 God’s presence is with me. 444 00:23:05,260 –> 00:23:09,219 God’s presence is with me. 445 00:23:09,219 –> 00:23:10,579 Say that with me, would you? 446 00:23:10,579 –> 00:23:13,420 God’s presence is with me. 447 00:23:13,420 –> 00:23:15,260 You may need to say that to yourself 448 00:23:15,260 –> 00:23:17,380 to reestablish the foundation of faith 449 00:23:17,380 –> 00:23:19,040 in the middle of the night, 450 00:23:20,420 –> 00:23:21,619 to face your fears, 451 00:23:23,739 –> 00:23:25,540 and then there’s something else 452 00:23:25,540 –> 00:23:27,420 that’s the foundation of faith. 453 00:23:27,420 –> 00:23:32,420 And it’s this, that God’s promise is sure. 454 00:23:33,219 –> 00:23:36,160 God’s promise is sure. 455 00:23:37,339 –> 00:23:39,760 Now notice the strange thing in verse 17, 456 00:23:39,760 –> 00:23:43,079 and at first you may find looking at it, 457 00:23:43,079 –> 00:23:45,280 you say now what in the world is that therefore? 458 00:23:45,280 –> 00:23:47,300 And certainly that’s the question I had 459 00:23:47,300 –> 00:23:49,180 as I came to it first. 460 00:23:49,180 –> 00:23:51,739 He talks about the distinguishing mark 461 00:23:51,739 –> 00:23:55,300 that is in all of my letters. 462 00:23:55,300 –> 00:23:56,699 What is all this about? 463 00:23:59,979 –> 00:24:01,219 Stay with me for a moment, 464 00:24:01,420 –> 00:24:03,119 because I promise you this is worth it. 465 00:24:04,420 –> 00:24:07,819 It’s good to remember how the books 466 00:24:07,819 –> 00:24:10,800 and the letters that make up our Bible 467 00:24:10,800 –> 00:24:12,359 were actually given, 468 00:24:14,060 –> 00:24:17,060 and as we study the Word of God every weekend, 469 00:24:18,180 –> 00:24:19,739 there are really just two Scriptures 470 00:24:19,739 –> 00:24:20,579 that you need to know, 471 00:24:20,579 –> 00:24:23,900 that tell you everything you need to know about the Bible. 472 00:24:23,900 –> 00:24:27,699 The first is in 2 Timothy chapter three and verse 16. 473 00:24:27,699 –> 00:24:30,880 It says that all Scripture is God breathed. 474 00:24:31,420 –> 00:24:32,839 A wonderful statement. 475 00:24:32,839 –> 00:24:36,479 All the words in this book, the Bible, 476 00:24:36,479 –> 00:24:40,859 have been breathed out by God. 477 00:24:40,859 –> 00:24:42,459 God is their source. 478 00:24:42,459 –> 00:24:47,459 They are His words that have been given to us in Scripture. 479 00:24:48,020 –> 00:24:49,760 God spoke His word, 480 00:24:49,760 –> 00:24:54,760 and He gave it to apostles and prophets. 481 00:24:56,520 –> 00:24:58,719 The second Scripture that you need to know 482 00:24:58,719 –> 00:25:02,800 to grasp what is most important about Scripture 483 00:25:02,800 –> 00:25:05,819 is in 2 Peter in chapter 1. 484 00:25:05,819 –> 00:25:07,459 And Peter says this in verse 20. 485 00:25:07,459 –> 00:25:08,760 No prophesy of Scripture 486 00:25:08,760 –> 00:25:11,619 came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 487 00:25:11,619 –> 00:25:12,459 In other words, 488 00:25:12,459 –> 00:25:14,920 prophets, apostles weren’t just making up their own thoughts 489 00:25:14,920 –> 00:25:17,020 to try and help and encourage people 490 00:25:17,020 –> 00:25:19,020 in these various churches and so forth. 491 00:25:19,020 –> 00:25:20,380 He says this, 492 00:25:20,380 –> 00:25:23,979 Prophecy never had its origin in the will of man. 493 00:25:23,979 –> 00:25:26,839 It didn’t come from what a man wanted to say. 494 00:25:26,880 –> 00:25:29,900 But men spoke from God 495 00:25:29,900 –> 00:25:33,920 as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 496 00:25:33,920 –> 00:25:36,119 That’s a hugely important statement 497 00:25:36,119 –> 00:25:38,339 about the inspiration of Scripture. 498 00:25:38,339 –> 00:25:39,699 Put these two together, 499 00:25:39,699 –> 00:25:40,819 all Scripture, 500 00:25:40,819 –> 00:25:45,380 everything in your Bible has been breathed out by God. 501 00:25:45,380 –> 00:25:47,099 And how did it come to us? 502 00:25:47,099 –> 00:25:48,859 Men spoke from God 503 00:25:48,859 –> 00:25:52,420 as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit, 504 00:25:52,420 –> 00:25:53,300 who were these men? 505 00:25:53,300 –> 00:25:54,380 Apostles 506 00:25:54,380 –> 00:25:55,619 and prophets. 507 00:25:56,420 –> 00:25:58,459 Now that is so important 508 00:25:58,459 –> 00:25:59,739 and I say it for this reason, 509 00:25:59,739 –> 00:26:01,160 the words of this letter 510 00:26:01,160 –> 00:26:03,239 on which our souls have been fed 511 00:26:03,239 –> 00:26:05,140 over these last weeks, 512 00:26:05,140 –> 00:26:06,939 the words of 2 Thessalonians 513 00:26:06,939 –> 00:26:10,000 did not have that origin in Paul. 514 00:26:11,680 –> 00:26:13,900 These words came to him, 515 00:26:14,920 –> 00:26:16,640 they were God breathed. 516 00:26:17,739 –> 00:26:20,739 Their source and their origin was in God. 517 00:26:21,619 –> 00:26:24,739 Paul wrote them as he was carried along 518 00:26:24,739 –> 00:26:26,619 by the Holy Spirit. 519 00:26:28,020 –> 00:26:29,459 And when you read the Bible, 520 00:26:29,459 –> 00:26:30,859 whether it’d be 2 Thessalonians 521 00:26:30,859 –> 00:26:33,380 or any other book of the Bible, 522 00:26:33,380 –> 00:26:35,060 you can read it with this confidence 523 00:26:35,060 –> 00:26:39,839 that you are reading the word of God. 524 00:26:41,500 –> 00:26:44,979 Now, it seems from what is said here 525 00:26:44,979 –> 00:26:49,979 that Paul dictated the words of this letter. 526 00:26:50,459 –> 00:26:52,959 I want you to try and picture this. 527 00:26:52,959 –> 00:26:57,599 Picture the apostle and he’s walking around the room 528 00:26:57,599 –> 00:27:00,459 and words are coming to him. 529 00:27:00,459 –> 00:27:03,500 They’re coming to him by the direct inspiration of God. 530 00:27:03,500 –> 00:27:05,219 He is being, in Peter’s words, 531 00:27:05,219 –> 00:27:08,540 carried along by the Holy Spirit. 532 00:27:08,540 –> 00:27:10,380 And he is speaking out these words 533 00:27:10,380 –> 00:27:12,180 and some scribe is writing them down. 534 00:27:12,180 –> 00:27:15,140 Maybe it was Timothy, maybe it was Silas, 535 00:27:15,140 –> 00:27:18,500 maybe it was some other scribe who was with them 536 00:27:18,520 –> 00:27:21,020 and he’s writing down these words 537 00:27:21,020 –> 00:27:23,699 as they are being given to the apostle Paul 538 00:27:23,699 –> 00:27:26,420 and as he speaks them out. 539 00:27:28,300 –> 00:27:31,979 And then as Paul gets to the end, 540 00:27:31,979 –> 00:27:32,880 can you picture this? 541 00:27:32,880 –> 00:27:36,459 He goes over to the desk where all this 542 00:27:36,459 –> 00:27:37,699 is being written down and he says, 543 00:27:37,699 –> 00:27:39,140 give me the pen, 544 00:27:39,140 –> 00:27:39,979 give me the pen, 545 00:27:41,500 –> 00:27:42,699 and he writes, 546 00:27:42,699 –> 00:27:45,500 I, Paul, 547 00:27:45,500 –> 00:27:50,420 write this greeting in my own hand, 548 00:27:51,599 –> 00:27:55,439 which is the distinguishing mark 549 00:27:55,439 –> 00:27:58,260 of all my letters, 550 00:27:58,260 –> 00:28:00,079 this is 551 00:28:00,079 –> 00:28:01,280 how 552 00:28:01,280 –> 00:28:02,699 I 553 00:28:02,699 –> 00:28:03,540 write. 554 00:28:05,439 –> 00:28:07,380 Now, do you see the importance of that? 555 00:28:08,939 –> 00:28:12,599 He is signing the document 556 00:28:12,599 –> 00:28:17,060 with the mark of apostolic authenticity. 557 00:28:18,339 –> 00:28:19,900 And it’s more than an autograph, 558 00:28:19,900 –> 00:28:22,339 it’s more than just Paul, 559 00:28:22,339 –> 00:28:24,420 yours sincerely, Paul. 560 00:28:24,420 –> 00:28:25,900 It’s more than that, 561 00:28:25,900 –> 00:28:27,739 because that might be easy to forge. 562 00:28:27,739 –> 00:28:31,199 He writes out two entire sentences 563 00:28:31,199 –> 00:28:32,780 in his own hand, 564 00:28:32,780 –> 00:28:33,660 and he says, 565 00:28:33,660 –> 00:28:36,400 now this is the distinguishing mark 566 00:28:36,400 –> 00:28:37,540 of all my letters, 567 00:28:37,540 –> 00:28:40,680 this is how I write. 568 00:28:41,560 –> 00:28:44,660 And if you remember from earlier in our series, 569 00:28:44,660 –> 00:28:46,199 you will see the importance of that, 570 00:28:46,199 –> 00:28:48,619 because back in chapter two, and verse two, 571 00:28:49,560 –> 00:28:52,839 we read about a letter that had been circulated, 572 00:28:52,839 –> 00:28:55,359 supposedly having come from Paul, 573 00:28:55,359 –> 00:28:56,199 that was saying that 574 00:28:56,199 –> 00:28:58,380 the day of the Lord had already come. 575 00:28:58,380 –> 00:28:59,380 In other words, 576 00:28:59,380 –> 00:29:00,459 there were forged letters 577 00:29:00,459 –> 00:29:02,140 that were being pushed around the church. 578 00:29:02,140 –> 00:29:04,199 And you can easily understand why. 579 00:29:05,380 –> 00:29:09,719 Apostolic letters had authority in the churches. 580 00:29:09,760 –> 00:29:12,280 Letters from the apostles, even from early days, 581 00:29:12,280 –> 00:29:14,760 were exchanged between the churches, 582 00:29:14,760 –> 00:29:16,439 passed from one church to another, 583 00:29:16,439 –> 00:29:18,199 so that churches could benefit 584 00:29:18,199 –> 00:29:22,040 from these God-given writings. 585 00:29:22,040 –> 00:29:23,540 And so it is not surprising 586 00:29:23,540 –> 00:29:25,300 that even in the early days of the church, 587 00:29:25,300 –> 00:29:27,160 there were false teachers, 588 00:29:27,160 –> 00:29:29,119 folks, and there are always these folks, 589 00:29:29,119 –> 00:29:31,239 who want to try and promote themselves, 590 00:29:31,239 –> 00:29:33,719 and so what they did was they wrote their own letters 591 00:29:33,719 –> 00:29:36,719 and then claimed that these letters were apostolic, 592 00:29:36,719 –> 00:29:38,140 so that the churches would read them 593 00:29:38,180 –> 00:29:40,380 and they would build an audience. 594 00:29:40,380 –> 00:29:41,420 And so you can see 595 00:29:41,420 –> 00:29:43,800 that there was great potential for confusion. 596 00:29:44,780 –> 00:29:49,140 How could we know that a letter really came from Paul? 597 00:29:49,140 –> 00:29:51,920 How could we tell a genuinely apostolic letter 598 00:29:51,920 –> 00:29:54,619 from one that was a fake or one that was a forgery? 599 00:29:54,619 –> 00:29:57,619 And Paul takes the pen and he writes these sentences 600 00:29:57,619 –> 00:30:00,780 and he says, this is the distinguishing mark 601 00:30:00,780 –> 00:30:05,619 in all my letters, this is how I write. 602 00:30:06,459 –> 00:30:09,060 You see the importance for them 603 00:30:10,260 –> 00:30:11,959 and you see the importance for us. 604 00:30:13,079 –> 00:30:18,079 God spoke His word through Apostles and through Prophets. 605 00:30:18,859 –> 00:30:22,000 This letter really is apostolic. 606 00:30:23,800 –> 00:30:28,060 This is what God says and you can trust it. 607 00:30:28,060 –> 00:30:29,680 That’s the point of verse 17. 608 00:30:30,520 –> 00:30:35,520 This is what God says and you can trust it. 609 00:30:37,300 –> 00:30:41,300 So here is how you can face your greatest fears, 610 00:30:41,300 –> 00:30:45,479 your darkest days, God has spoken in the scriptures 611 00:30:45,479 –> 00:30:47,979 and you can rest your life. 612 00:30:47,979 –> 00:30:50,140 You can rest your death. 613 00:30:50,140 –> 00:30:54,119 You can rest your eternity on what he has said. 614 00:30:54,119 –> 00:30:55,560 God cannot lie. 615 00:30:56,619 –> 00:30:59,439 The scripture cannot be broken. 616 00:30:59,439 –> 00:31:02,079 All of God’s promises are yes and amen. 617 00:31:02,079 –> 00:31:03,859 They’re signed sealed and delivered. 618 00:31:03,859 –> 00:31:08,819 Jesus said my words will never pass away. 619 00:31:10,540 –> 00:31:13,520 So here on these occasions when you might be awake at night 620 00:31:13,520 –> 00:31:15,660 and anxiety is pressing in on you, 621 00:31:15,660 –> 00:31:18,780 here is how you face your fears. 622 00:31:20,180 –> 00:31:24,219 Whatever happens, even the worst I can imagine, 623 00:31:24,920 –> 00:31:29,920 God’s presence is with me and God’s promise is sure. 624 00:31:35,719 –> 00:31:40,719 I can rest my life, my death, my eternity in this. 625 00:31:42,719 –> 00:31:44,359 And then very briefly and lastly, 626 00:31:44,359 –> 00:31:45,699 God’s grace is sufficient. 627 00:31:45,699 –> 00:31:47,599 You see the very last line there, 628 00:31:47,599 –> 00:31:52,359 the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. 629 00:31:52,599 –> 00:31:53,420 You all. 630 00:31:54,459 –> 00:31:56,540 And you know that Paul knew what it was 631 00:31:56,540 –> 00:31:58,280 to be unbearably crushed. 632 00:31:59,219 –> 00:32:02,459 He knew what it was, as some of you know right now, 633 00:32:02,459 –> 00:32:05,239 what it is to face overwhelming pressure. 634 00:32:07,099 –> 00:32:09,619 He knew what it was to feel his own weakness, 635 00:32:09,619 –> 00:32:12,939 as I so often experience that and I’m sure you do too. 636 00:32:14,800 –> 00:32:17,079 And he knew what it was for Christ to say to him, 637 00:32:17,079 –> 00:32:21,780 my grace is sufficient for you. 638 00:32:23,119 –> 00:32:26,540 And his grace is sufficient for us as well, 639 00:32:27,500 –> 00:32:30,839 at all times and in every way. 640 00:32:32,300 –> 00:32:36,339 So face your fears, don’t push them back, 641 00:32:37,280 –> 00:32:41,680 bring them out into the open and when you find yourself 642 00:32:41,680 –> 00:32:45,420 awake at night, ask Christ to give you his peace 643 00:32:47,020 –> 00:32:49,900 and then remind yourself of the foundation 644 00:32:50,459 –> 00:32:55,459 on which this peace rests and say it with me. 645 00:32:57,020 –> 00:33:02,020 God’s presence is with me, God’s promise is sure, 646 00:33:02,939 –> 00:33:05,339 God’s grace is sufficient. 647 00:33:05,339 –> 00:33:09,739 Again together, God’s presence is with me, 648 00:33:09,739 –> 00:33:14,739 God’s promise is sure, God’s grace is sufficient. 649 00:33:15,459 –> 00:33:20,459 Father, thank you for this unshakeable foundation 650 00:33:21,760 –> 00:33:25,239 which is ours in Jesus Christ. 651 00:33:26,859 –> 00:33:31,859 Grant to each of us in our unique circumstances of life, 652 00:33:35,500 –> 00:33:40,500 your peace, command it, send it, give it, 653 00:33:45,160 –> 00:33:46,920 into my heart, oh Lord, 654 00:33:48,000 –> 00:33:50,239 into the heart of every anxious person 655 00:33:50,239 –> 00:33:52,459 in every circumstance of life. 656 00:33:54,900 –> 00:33:59,339 And grant to us, we pray, that ability to face life 657 00:34:01,359 –> 00:34:06,040 on the sure foundation that is ours in the Lord Jesus Christ, 658 00:34:06,040 –> 00:34:07,400 the Lord of peace. 659 00:34:08,840 –> 00:34:11,800 We bless you that whatever I face, 660 00:34:11,820 –> 00:34:13,719 your presence is with me, 661 00:34:14,659 –> 00:34:16,520 that your promise is sure, 662 00:34:18,179 –> 00:34:19,760 and that your grace is sufficient 663 00:34:21,120 –> 00:34:22,580 through Jesus Christ, our Lord, 664 00:34:22,580 –> 00:34:25,260 and all God’s people said. 665 00:34:25,260 –> 00:34:26,100 Amen.