1 00:00:00,020 --> 00:00:05,580 All right, so many of you know that we are one of four harbor churches on island. 2 00:00:05,780 --> 00:00:10,900 There are four harbor churches here on Oahu, but we are all one church, one harbor church, 3 00:00:10,990 --> 00:00:13,640 and we exist in four locations. 4 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:17,500 And we're that way because we love church planting. 5 00:00:17,980 --> 00:00:22,920 We're all about seeing more churches, healthy churches planted and established. 6 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:29,400 And the original harbor church that was planted 23 years ago was a church plant out of Faith 7 00:00:29,420 --> 00:00:34,760 Baptist in Kailua, they planted four families, started a church in Hawaii Kai that they named 8 00:00:35,140 --> 00:00:41,160 Harbor Church. And in their 10th or 11th year, they sent out their first church plant, Harbor Church 9 00:00:41,700 --> 00:00:47,560 North Shore in Wailua. And so Harbor Church North Shore is about 13, 14 years old, somewhere in there. 10 00:00:47,900 --> 00:00:53,520 And we sent out, back then we sent out Pastor John and Jansen, his wife, and a community group that 11 00:00:53,580 --> 00:00:59,320 was meeting up on the North Shore that started Harbor North. And they're in Wailua, they've grown, 12 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:07,600 They're doing amazing things, reaching their community for Jesus, allowing their space that they've built to be used all throughout the week to bless so many people. 13 00:01:08,140 --> 00:01:12,320 But we've never had Pastor John come speak at Harbor West. 14 00:01:12,700 --> 00:01:13,480 They're one service. 15 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:15,880 They're just kind of quick and easy up there. 16 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:17,440 And I'm like, come speak at our three services. 17 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:19,140 And he's just said no for 10 years. 18 00:01:19,700 --> 00:01:22,240 And so finally wrangled him over here. 19 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,180 And so Pastor John's going to come up and open God's word with us. 20 00:01:25,180 --> 00:01:27,440 So let's welcome Pastor John Beam from Harbor North. 21 00:01:33,940 --> 00:01:39,460 correction justin i'm not here to speak i'm here to preach bro there's a difference 22 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:49,720 thank you um good morning and uh i am grateful to be here and feeling good after three uh thank 23 00:01:49,730 --> 00:01:56,680 you for that coffee and uh the tylenol it's kicking in i feel great uh but mostly because 24 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:02,440 the Holy Spirit. But so yeah, good morning. And whether you are ready or not, I got to say this 25 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:08,759 for myself, but I just am happy to finally be able to greet you guys and say Merry Christmas. 26 00:02:09,820 --> 00:02:15,720 It's good for me to hear myself say that. We're well into December. All the Thanksgiving leftovers 27 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:20,340 are finally, they're completely gone out of the fridge as they should be at this point. 28 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:26,600 The waves have been pumping on the North Shore for like the last month. It's just everything. It 29 00:02:26,620 --> 00:02:33,520 the holidays are upon us. And so I'm finally excited to say Merry Christmas. I'm accepting it. 30 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:39,520 I've seen the Christmas decorations at Home Depot since before October, but I'm right now just like 31 00:02:39,660 --> 00:02:47,760 ready to go. Merry Christmas. But you know, like many of you, my heart is also heavier during the 32 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:54,840 month of Christmas. I too just, like many, you experience it and you know the holiday season, 33 00:02:54,920 --> 00:03:01,820 it brings a weight of grief because you think about, you mourn the loss of loved ones, people 34 00:03:01,980 --> 00:03:08,380 you wish were here. And just the mourning is a little bit more intense. If you grew up in a broken 35 00:03:08,670 --> 00:03:16,060 family like I did, also just the drama and the tension within the family, it just suddenly 36 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:20,760 ticks up a couple notches for whatever, just because it's the holiday seasons. 37 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:29,320 So I understand also just how the holiday season can reopen past wounds. 38 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:31,960 It's real. It's complicated. It hurts. 39 00:03:32,850 --> 00:03:38,600 For some, Christmas time gives more of a reason to mourn than to be merry. 40 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,860 But maybe, maybe by God's grace in your life, 41 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:45,740 you don't come from a broken family or there's, 42 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,100 you haven't really lost any significant loved one in your life 43 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:52,800 and your family's together. You're unified. You're happy together. 44 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,500 And so you're constantly celebrating and feasting. 45 00:03:56,970 --> 00:03:59,620 But for you, the holiday season is exhausting. 46 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:01,620 You're just, you're tired. 47 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:07,120 It's more frustrating than it is restful for you. 48 00:04:07,540 --> 00:04:09,500 Everything is happening at the same time. 49 00:04:09,750 --> 00:04:14,900 You have more plates spinning than you have fingers on your hands to spin all of these plates. 50 00:04:16,280 --> 00:04:21,459 And so rather than soaking it all in, just waiting, counting the days until Christmas comes, 51 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:26,640 You're counting the day till New Year gets here because you know that on the night of New Year's 52 00:04:26,740 --> 00:04:32,340 Day, you're finally going to get to bed at a decent hour. You're finally going to get a good decent 53 00:04:32,580 --> 00:04:39,000 night's sleep and you're going to wake up and go about your normal routine day. Like some of you 54 00:04:39,090 --> 00:04:43,320 are, you're just tired of all the excitement and you just want some boredom, right? Is that any of 55 00:04:43,330 --> 00:04:48,820 you, like any of you tired of all of the merriment and the festivities and you just want a boring day? 56 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:52,580 Is that like, I'm totally there as well. 57 00:04:55,180 --> 00:04:58,300 If any of this describes you, describes where you're at, 58 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:02,820 I can't promise that God's just going to fix all of your problems right now, 59 00:05:03,030 --> 00:05:07,520 but he can get really close if you're open to it, if you're open to him. 60 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:11,500 So this morning, we're going to be considering God's peace. 61 00:05:12,140 --> 00:05:17,840 How many of you right now could use some of God's peace in your life? 62 00:05:18,540 --> 00:05:20,100 You need some peace? 63 00:05:21,280 --> 00:05:23,540 That's what we're going to be talking about this morning. 64 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:28,020 And I'm not talking about a moment of temporary peace and quiet 65 00:05:29,020 --> 00:05:33,720 or a break just to catch your breath and then take that gulp of air 66 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:37,480 and then go back out into the world of problems and chaos, 67 00:05:37,620 --> 00:05:40,220 the life that you're living, wherever you're going through. 68 00:05:40,580 --> 00:05:45,400 I'm talking about a peace that provides long-term stability. 69 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:47,940 That's the peace of God. 70 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:52,240 A peace that can begin to heal past wounds. 71 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:56,040 A peace that gives resolve to the soul 72 00:05:56,420 --> 00:05:58,020 that when storms of life come, 73 00:05:58,140 --> 00:06:00,940 when hardships, when they meet you, 74 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:01,960 when you're faced with it, 75 00:06:02,280 --> 00:06:04,980 you're able to stand steadfast. 76 00:06:07,100 --> 00:06:08,580 Now, if that sounds too good to be true, 77 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,260 well, I'm glad it sounds too good to be true for you 78 00:06:13,300 --> 00:06:15,320 because that probably means you're paying attention, 79 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:16,800 you're hearing from the Lord right now. 80 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:20,820 It's usually a sign when things sound too good to be true, 81 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:24,040 it's usually a sign that you're hearing from the Lord. 82 00:06:25,460 --> 00:06:26,940 The Lord who makes all things new. 83 00:06:27,420 --> 00:06:29,040 The Lord who created the world, 84 00:06:29,380 --> 00:06:32,540 who created everything that is here that exists out of nothing. 85 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:35,480 The God who turns graves into gardens. 86 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:40,300 So if you're hearing from the Lord, if he has your attention, 87 00:06:40,540 --> 00:06:43,520 I want to invite you now to turn in your Bible to God's word, 88 00:06:43,700 --> 00:06:44,880 to the book of Zechariah. 89 00:06:45,180 --> 00:06:47,740 Zechariah is one of the easiest minor prophets to find. 90 00:06:47,810 --> 00:06:50,440 If you go to the New Testament, if you find Matthew, 91 00:06:50,510 --> 00:06:54,360 just flip backwards a couple pages and you'll come to Zechariah. 92 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:56,320 We're gonna be in Zechariah chapter nine. 93 00:06:56,520 --> 00:07:00,600 So I wanna pray and we'll get into God's word here. 94 00:07:01,020 --> 00:07:04,040 So Lord, I just ask now that you would do more 95 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:05,320 than we can ask or imagine. 96 00:07:06,380 --> 00:07:08,120 That you would give us this peace 97 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:09,700 that surpasses understanding. 98 00:07:10,660 --> 00:07:13,999 That we would have our hearts just reinvigorated 99 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:20,740 and resting secure and sure in your peace, 100 00:07:21,100 --> 00:07:23,260 the peace that you are giving us right now, 101 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:25,860 the peace that you have given to us through Jesus 102 00:07:27,220 --> 00:07:28,960 thousands of years ago when he came. 103 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:34,120 So Lord, help us to be open and discerning, 104 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:40,060 to be humble and to experience more of Jesus right now. 105 00:07:40,140 --> 00:07:41,680 We pray this in his name, amen. 106 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:45,520 So Zechariah chapter nine, starting in verse nine, 107 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:46,860 Zechariah says this, 108 00:07:47,260 --> 00:07:50,900 he's talking to a bunch of returning exiles. 109 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:52,340 So the Jewish people, 110 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:55,080 God fulfilled his promise to Abraham. 111 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:57,780 He brought them into the promised land. 112 00:07:58,100 --> 00:07:59,300 He gave them this land 113 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:01,920 and he dwelt there himself through the temple. 114 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:05,040 And he said, if you could be here with me 115 00:08:05,100 --> 00:08:06,120 and experience my peace, 116 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:09,980 but they did not follow God's laws, his commands. 117 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:11,060 They were proud. 118 00:08:11,300 --> 00:08:13,180 They were taking advantage of one another. 119 00:08:14,010 --> 00:08:17,060 Israel became not a place of a sanctuary. 120 00:08:17,170 --> 00:08:19,920 It became more of like a little living hell on earth. 121 00:08:19,990 --> 00:08:22,280 And so God brought them back into exile. 122 00:08:22,300 --> 00:08:23,720 He exiled them from the land 123 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:28,140 because of their constant sin and rebellion against him. 124 00:08:28,660 --> 00:08:32,300 And then 70 years later, after he exiled them, 125 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:33,800 he brought them back. 126 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:36,460 He made a way for them to return to the land. 127 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:39,719 And so he says this to the returning exiles, 128 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:43,400 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. 129 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:46,440 Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem. 130 00:08:46,940 --> 00:08:48,960 Behold, your king is coming to you. 131 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:53,680 Righteous and having salvation is he. 132 00:08:54,660 --> 00:08:59,420 Humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 133 00:09:00,660 --> 00:09:04,580 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem 134 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:07,199 and the battle bow shall be cut off 135 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:10,220 and he shall be speak peace to the nations. 136 00:09:11,300 --> 00:09:13,860 His rule shall be from sea to sea 137 00:09:13,870 --> 00:09:16,000 and from river to the ends of the earth. 138 00:09:16,740 --> 00:09:17,720 As for you also, 139 00:09:18,250 --> 00:09:20,660 because of the blood of my covenant with you, 140 00:09:21,020 --> 00:09:24,200 I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. 141 00:09:25,300 --> 00:09:26,720 Return to your stronghold, 142 00:09:26,890 --> 00:09:28,240 oh prisoners of hope. 143 00:09:29,100 --> 00:09:33,160 Today, I declare that I will restore to you double. 144 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:35,500 So the first point I wanna make, 145 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:38,120 and we're going to unpack this, be here for a bit, 146 00:09:39,580 --> 00:09:40,340 is rejoice. 147 00:09:40,730 --> 00:09:42,320 That if we're going to experience God's peace, 148 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:46,720 we need to rejoice in our peace with the Lord. 149 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:50,620 Rejoice in your peace with God. 150 00:09:51,820 --> 00:09:53,900 Christians are commanded to rejoice. 151 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:55,980 You're commanded. 152 00:09:56,130 --> 00:09:59,080 God commands you right now to be happy. 153 00:09:59,980 --> 00:10:00,660 Be happy. 154 00:10:00,940 --> 00:10:01,840 That's the command here. 155 00:10:03,020 --> 00:10:04,240 But how do you do this? 156 00:10:05,340 --> 00:10:08,760 When your marriage might feel like hell on earth. 157 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:11,500 How can you be happy? 158 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:12,720 How can you obey this command? 159 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:14,500 When you're constantly, 160 00:10:14,500 --> 00:10:16,960 you constantly feel like you're just working your okoli off 161 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:18,380 just to stay above water, 162 00:10:18,460 --> 00:10:20,480 just to keep a roof over your head. 163 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:22,440 And now it's Christmas time. 164 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:24,460 How are you going to pull that off? 165 00:10:25,140 --> 00:10:28,240 Give gifts and have a Merry Christmas with your loved ones. 166 00:10:29,780 --> 00:10:31,540 What do you do with a verse like this 167 00:10:31,680 --> 00:10:33,200 when it's a Thursday afternoon, 168 00:10:34,020 --> 00:10:38,740 You're already just tired from the week and you're again sitting in the worst traffic in the world. 169 00:10:39,310 --> 00:10:40,460 You just want to be home. 170 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:48,460 Does God really expect you to rejoice, to obey this command, to rejoice greatly, 171 00:10:49,170 --> 00:10:52,200 even when your circumstances aren't that great? 172 00:10:54,460 --> 00:10:56,000 In fact, they're bad. 173 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:58,180 You would say they're terrible, miserable. 174 00:10:59,860 --> 00:11:04,960 Does God really expect you to rejoice when your circumstances don't give much reason to rejoice? 175 00:11:06,860 --> 00:11:07,060 Amen. 176 00:11:08,860 --> 00:11:09,280 That's true. 177 00:11:09,410 --> 00:11:12,620 The answer is, again, verse 9, rejoice. 178 00:11:13,460 --> 00:11:14,120 That's the answer. 179 00:11:14,780 --> 00:11:14,960 Yes. 180 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:23,280 God calls us, he commands us, even when our circumstances are not favorable, to rejoice in him. 181 00:11:25,820 --> 00:11:28,800 When Zechariah originally gave this command to the Jews, 182 00:11:29,420 --> 00:11:31,020 there was some level of excitement 183 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:32,580 because they were returning back home, 184 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:33,860 back to the promised land. 185 00:11:35,900 --> 00:11:38,340 But they were still in the beginning stages of building, 186 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:41,900 of rebuilding their decimated cities and communities, 187 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:44,380 rebuilding the temple that had been destroyed 188 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:45,880 70 years prior. 189 00:11:47,060 --> 00:11:49,800 And so they were finally free to go back home, 190 00:11:50,420 --> 00:11:53,760 but they weren't exactly free at that time. 191 00:11:55,260 --> 00:11:57,740 They were still ruled over by a foreign power. 192 00:11:58,860 --> 00:12:00,960 They were at that time being threatened 193 00:12:01,140 --> 00:12:03,500 by neighboring communities, neighboring bullies. 194 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:06,000 They were poor, they were powerless, 195 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:09,940 struggling to see the hand of God at work in their lives. 196 00:12:11,100 --> 00:12:11,620 Can you relate? 197 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:17,740 Does this story sound a little too familiar to you? 198 00:12:19,940 --> 00:12:22,300 Maybe you feel like you're on top of the world right now 199 00:12:22,620 --> 00:12:23,540 and that is great. 200 00:12:23,980 --> 00:12:24,840 Praise God for that. 201 00:12:25,060 --> 00:12:27,160 But no matter where you're at, 202 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:30,220 the way to experience true peace, 203 00:12:31,700 --> 00:12:34,020 true and lasting divine peace 204 00:12:34,980 --> 00:12:38,120 is to rejoice in the righteous king and Lord 205 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:39,580 of our salvation. 206 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:44,220 The Lord is calling you to rejoice greatly in him. 207 00:12:45,020 --> 00:12:45,700 But why? 208 00:12:46,560 --> 00:12:49,000 What is it that we're called to rejoice in exactly? 209 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:52,140 Well, we see it again here in verse nine. 210 00:12:52,680 --> 00:12:55,100 Behold, your king is coming to you. 211 00:12:55,490 --> 00:13:02,100 So the king comes to you, righteous and having salvation is he, 212 00:13:02,660 --> 00:13:05,260 humble and mounted on a donkey. 213 00:13:05,730 --> 00:13:08,080 You see the posture of the king, 214 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:13,040 the posture of the king of kings is what makes all the difference for you and I. 215 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:20,160 That's what makes this command possible to observe, to rejoice. 216 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:27,240 So if he were the conquering king riding in on a war horse looking for vengeance and justice, 217 00:13:28,180 --> 00:13:30,180 then the call would be, take cover. 218 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:32,300 Brace yourself. 219 00:13:32,860 --> 00:13:33,360 He's coming. 220 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:39,300 But instead we're told this righteous king comes to make peace. 221 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:46,499 It's because of his humble, gracious, gentle posture towards us 222 00:13:46,700 --> 00:13:50,480 that we can feel excited to be in his presence 223 00:13:50,770 --> 00:13:51,560 rather than terrified. 224 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:55,240 The king was not coming to execute judgment 225 00:13:55,560 --> 00:13:58,660 on his unfaithful and broken people. 226 00:13:59,180 --> 00:14:00,740 He was coming with salvation. 227 00:14:02,780 --> 00:14:04,300 Coming to bring peace. 228 00:14:04,900 --> 00:14:07,240 Peace between us and himself. 229 00:14:10,660 --> 00:14:13,480 Okay, but what exactly does the peace of God look like? 230 00:14:15,020 --> 00:14:16,340 How do we experience this? 231 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:22,480 peace. How do we recognize God's peace? Like we all have different understandings, different 232 00:14:22,900 --> 00:14:27,240 definitions of peace, right? I mean, if you're a single mother or not single mother, you're just a 233 00:14:27,350 --> 00:14:34,720 mother with tons of kids, like your idea of peace is an empty house. No, nobody else around, not your 234 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:41,580 husband, not your kids, just you and a blank wall to stare at. That's your idea of peace. 235 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:48,900 Maybe your idea of peace is kicking off your boots after work and just kicking back. 236 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:51,420 My kids are homeschooled. 237 00:14:51,780 --> 00:14:56,560 And so whenever it is that that school starts for homeschool kids, 238 00:14:58,500 --> 00:15:01,560 my peace is getting to leave and go to work. 239 00:15:02,060 --> 00:15:03,240 Work is my sanctuary. 240 00:15:05,020 --> 00:15:07,820 Maybe for you, it's going on a run, reading a book, 241 00:15:08,580 --> 00:15:10,780 listening to a podcast while you're sitting there in traffic. 242 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:16,800 The best way for us to understand and discern, recognize God's peace 243 00:15:17,620 --> 00:15:23,120 is to look at the beginning of the Bible and then towards the end of the Bible. 244 00:15:24,820 --> 00:15:27,560 When we look at Genesis and then we look at Revelation, 245 00:15:27,970 --> 00:15:33,560 we get a clear picture of what God's peace is, what God's peace is like. 246 00:15:35,260 --> 00:15:39,540 So if we visit the Garden of Eden in Genesis 1, we read this, 247 00:15:40,940 --> 00:15:45,360 And God saw everything that he had made and behold, it was very good. 248 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:48,700 Like I love this imagery here. 249 00:15:48,910 --> 00:15:52,840 Like this is on the sixth day, God created everything. 250 00:15:53,370 --> 00:15:58,540 Like the stars, the planets, the sea and the land, the plants and the animals. 251 00:15:58,850 --> 00:16:01,840 And he's sitting out there and he's looking at everything. 252 00:16:02,310 --> 00:16:04,340 And he's just admiring what he did. 253 00:16:04,550 --> 00:16:05,180 Like I know this feeling. 254 00:16:05,210 --> 00:16:06,380 So I'm a tradesman. 255 00:16:06,380 --> 00:16:10,540 I have a construction company and we're in the middle of a brand new build. 256 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:15,920 So for tradesmen, like new construction, especially with carpentry, it's just so enjoyable. 257 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:18,480 It goes really fast, feels very productive. 258 00:16:18,770 --> 00:16:20,340 And we got the whole house framed up. 259 00:16:20,620 --> 00:16:22,940 And we're out in the back with me and the crew. 260 00:16:22,950 --> 00:16:26,400 And we're just marveling at how good we are. 261 00:16:27,820 --> 00:16:30,120 Like we just, like everything looks so tight. 262 00:16:30,130 --> 00:16:30,700 It's plumb. 263 00:16:30,730 --> 00:16:31,160 It's square. 264 00:16:31,220 --> 00:16:33,300 The roof is just, it's planing right. 265 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:36,200 We're just like, we did, we do good work. 266 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:37,600 We do good work. 267 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:38,700 That's God. 268 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:43,040 Like he's marveling at his creation. 269 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:46,700 He really likes what he saw. 270 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:51,480 Everything that God had made, he enjoyed it. 271 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:55,700 Almost 20 years ago now, my wife and I got hired to be caretakers 272 00:16:55,960 --> 00:17:01,120 to take care of this like filthy rich family's estate over in Laie. 273 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:05,600 It was like two, three acres, waterfront, and it came with a caretaker house. 274 00:17:05,699 --> 00:17:17,319 So we lived on this beachfront property and we were tasked to just take care of their property and make sure it stayed clean and neat and that it was opened up for whenever they would come. 275 00:17:17,380 --> 00:17:21,600 They would come like once a year, sometimes twice a year for like six days out of the year. 276 00:17:22,420 --> 00:17:24,900 And the rest of the time it was like, it felt like it was ours. 277 00:17:27,300 --> 00:17:31,100 And it was panoramic, like it was just a beautiful property right on the water. 278 00:17:31,180 --> 00:17:35,080 But the best view that you got on this property was up this small hill. 279 00:17:35,460 --> 00:17:38,540 that's where the owner's master bedroom suite was. 280 00:17:38,950 --> 00:17:41,040 It was this huge bedroom with a wet bar, 281 00:17:41,580 --> 00:17:44,440 walk-in closet, bigger than like my bedroom now 282 00:17:44,550 --> 00:17:45,800 where we're at my house, 283 00:17:46,140 --> 00:17:48,980 and a bathroom that was about the size of my bedroom 284 00:17:49,130 --> 00:17:49,940 in my house now. 285 00:17:50,500 --> 00:17:53,160 And there were sliding glass doors on all three walls 286 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:56,180 that gave them this epic, just panoramic view everywhere. 287 00:17:56,740 --> 00:17:59,540 You could see the whole North Shore, the East Side. 288 00:18:00,060 --> 00:18:01,680 Story is, that place though, 289 00:18:02,120 --> 00:18:05,100 was originally meant to be the caretaker cottage. 290 00:18:05,540 --> 00:18:10,800 They were originally intended to just give like the caretakers a small little kind of like studio place 291 00:18:11,120 --> 00:18:13,320 for where they can live and take care of the property. 292 00:18:13,590 --> 00:18:18,820 But when the wife went up there to just see the progress of how it was going, 293 00:18:19,220 --> 00:18:23,600 she just stood and realized, this is beautiful up here. 294 00:18:24,340 --> 00:18:25,360 I want this place. 295 00:18:25,850 --> 00:18:28,900 And so what they did is they, instead of making it the caretaker home, 296 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:32,220 they turned it into their own master suite. 297 00:18:33,340 --> 00:18:38,460 That's kind of how it was when God created the world and built the Garden of Eden. 298 00:18:39,050 --> 00:18:44,220 But the only difference is God didn't just reserve the best part for himself. 299 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:52,380 God decided that he was going to share the best with Adam and Eve 300 00:18:52,380 --> 00:18:55,740 and the rest of their offspring, all of humanity. 301 00:18:57,700 --> 00:19:00,840 That's what God was originally intending to do. 302 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:06,740 God created a world in which he wanted to reside. 303 00:19:06,910 --> 00:19:12,120 He planted a garden, a unique place that he could appreciate. 304 00:19:12,870 --> 00:19:14,840 That was up to his glorious standards. 305 00:19:15,110 --> 00:19:21,200 And he created a people with which he desired to live among and enjoy perfect shalom. 306 00:19:22,460 --> 00:19:22,900 His peace. 307 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:26,000 But we all know what happened. 308 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:29,320 Eventually, Adam and Eve rebelled against God. 309 00:19:29,860 --> 00:19:32,880 And not only broke peace between themselves and God, 310 00:19:33,090 --> 00:19:34,900 they destroyed it with each other. 311 00:19:35,540 --> 00:19:38,280 Like you remember when God, after they rebelled, 312 00:19:38,310 --> 00:19:41,500 they ate the forbidden fruit, God confronts Adam. 313 00:19:41,850 --> 00:19:42,580 What does Adam do? 314 00:19:43,120 --> 00:19:45,380 He immediately throws not only God, 315 00:19:45,410 --> 00:19:47,260 but his own wife under the bus. 316 00:19:49,940 --> 00:19:52,440 He says, when God asked him, what have you done? 317 00:19:52,900 --> 00:19:56,500 Quote, this is Adam, the woman whom you gave to me, 318 00:19:58,060 --> 00:20:02,040 She gave me of the fruit of the tree and I ate it. 319 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:06,000 So because of their sin against God, 320 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:10,580 he drove them out of that posh garden that he built 321 00:20:11,500 --> 00:20:14,680 away from his presence because peace had been disrupted. 322 00:20:14,830 --> 00:20:15,700 It had been broken. 323 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:21,040 And this has been our experience, our reality ever since. 324 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:24,420 You ever lose a friend over some beef 325 00:20:24,450 --> 00:20:25,640 or that maybe they just moved away. 326 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:30,560 And as a result, you also lost some of the privileges that came with being this person's friend. 327 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:33,300 Like I had a friend back when I was a teenager. 328 00:20:33,670 --> 00:20:36,040 He was, his dad was military. 329 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:43,260 And that means we had access to go surf the military Marine Corps base, North Beach and Pyramid Rock. 330 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:45,180 And like, it's epic. 331 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:45,840 Surf over there. 332 00:20:45,850 --> 00:20:47,680 We would surf it almost every day. 333 00:20:48,180 --> 00:20:51,840 But eventually like he got married and I got married at the same time. 334 00:20:52,340 --> 00:20:54,380 We were like a week apart getting married. 335 00:20:54,740 --> 00:20:57,580 and he ended up moving away, like moved off island. 336 00:20:57,870 --> 00:21:00,760 And I haven't surfed North Beach Pyramid Rock ever since. 337 00:21:02,120 --> 00:21:03,220 I miss that place. 338 00:21:03,330 --> 00:21:04,060 I miss him too. 339 00:21:05,120 --> 00:21:07,680 But I really miss access to the Marine Corps base. 340 00:21:09,660 --> 00:21:14,040 So many comforts, so many privileges and entitlements were lost. 341 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:19,420 Lost from humanity when we were separated from God in the garden. 342 00:21:23,060 --> 00:21:28,500 And ever since, we just have gone on trying to survive God's prerogative 343 00:21:29,790 --> 00:21:33,680 to restore us back into right fellowship with him, 344 00:21:33,990 --> 00:21:36,400 to restore the peace that we broke 345 00:21:37,250 --> 00:21:40,940 so that we can again experience the peace of God 346 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:43,160 that Adam and Eve once knew in the garden 347 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:45,640 before sin ever entered the earth. 348 00:21:47,460 --> 00:21:49,380 The Lord Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, 349 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:53,620 was not going to let the devil, sin and death, have the last word. 350 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:59,520 He pledged to defeat Satan, sin and death and to make all things new. 351 00:21:59,810 --> 00:22:02,080 And that's what we see at the end of the Bible. 352 00:22:03,140 --> 00:22:05,680 Revelation 21, it says this. 353 00:22:07,300 --> 00:22:09,260 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. 354 00:22:09,830 --> 00:22:14,300 For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more. 355 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:18,340 Don't, it's not like the literally, 356 00:22:18,500 --> 00:22:20,340 there's still gonna be an ocean when Jesus comes back. 357 00:22:20,540 --> 00:22:23,160 The sea's like symbolic of like chaos and sin. 358 00:22:23,360 --> 00:22:24,260 Like that sea's gone. 359 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:25,240 We're still gonna have an ocean. 360 00:22:26,100 --> 00:22:27,160 That gives me comfort. 361 00:22:27,820 --> 00:22:32,420 Anyways, I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, 362 00:22:32,740 --> 00:22:34,540 coming down out of heaven from God, 363 00:22:35,140 --> 00:22:37,560 prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 364 00:22:38,620 --> 00:22:42,660 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 365 00:22:43,380 --> 00:22:47,180 Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. 366 00:22:48,420 --> 00:22:50,040 He will dwell with them. 367 00:22:51,120 --> 00:22:52,140 Them, those people. 368 00:22:52,780 --> 00:22:54,260 Yes, he will dwell with them. 369 00:22:55,780 --> 00:22:57,040 And they will be his people. 370 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:00,700 And God himself will be with them as their God. 371 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:03,340 And he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. 372 00:23:03,740 --> 00:23:05,020 And death shall be no more. 373 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:09,140 Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore. 374 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:12,640 For the former things have passed away. 375 00:23:14,340 --> 00:23:15,940 that's the end of the story of redemption 376 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,080 the end of our story of redemption 377 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,820 is the beginning of eternal joy 378 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:23,740 and peace with God 379 00:23:25,700 --> 00:23:26,980 but if we skip down 380 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:28,940 we read this 381 00:23:30,660 --> 00:23:33,760 starting in verse 7 of chapter 21 382 00:23:34,180 --> 00:23:35,740 the one who conquers 383 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:37,740 will have this heritage 384 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:39,460 and I will be his God 385 00:23:39,460 --> 00:23:40,499 and he will be my son 386 00:23:41,540 --> 00:23:45,460 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, 387 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:48,080 as for murderers, the sexually immoral, 388 00:23:48,860 --> 00:23:51,640 sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, 389 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:56,900 their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, 390 00:23:57,340 --> 00:23:58,400 which is the second death. 391 00:23:59,700 --> 00:24:01,260 So this is horrible news 392 00:24:01,780 --> 00:24:04,680 for those who do not humble themselves before the Lord, 393 00:24:04,860 --> 00:24:07,540 for those who refuse to repent of their sin 394 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:11,040 and receive his gracious gift of forgiveness 395 00:24:11,750 --> 00:24:14,760 through his sacrifice for their sin on the cross. 396 00:24:16,580 --> 00:24:18,320 Their portion will be in the lake 397 00:24:18,390 --> 00:24:20,420 that burns with fire and sulfur. 398 00:24:22,500 --> 00:24:24,840 Jesus came to save the cowardly. 399 00:24:25,860 --> 00:24:28,640 Jesus came to save the faithless. 400 00:24:29,180 --> 00:24:31,420 Jesus came to save the detestable, 401 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:33,560 murderers, sexually immoral, 402 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:35,640 sorcerers, and all liars. 403 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:43,080 He came to save us, that's descriptive of all of us, from hell, from eternal exile from him. 404 00:24:47,060 --> 00:24:52,480 But the fact that there is a place called hell, where all evildoers, where Satan and demons and 405 00:24:53,070 --> 00:25:01,138 those who continue to live proud and rebellious against God, the fact that there's a place called 406 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:09,240 hell brings comfort for the people of God because it also means there will never ever be any hint 407 00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:17,480 of evil, sin, or rebellion when Jesus returns and makes all things new. It will be just like the 408 00:25:17,620 --> 00:25:26,479 Garden of Eden again. God's righteous rule will reign from sea to sea. It will stretch to every 409 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:35,400 corner of the earth. All men and women will be in glad submission to King Jesus, which means, 410 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:42,780 here's what this means. Everybody, every single person in the new heavens who's living on the 411 00:25:42,780 --> 00:25:52,240 new earth, they will all, all of us will be very, very nice. Everybody will be kind. 412 00:25:54,260 --> 00:25:56,260 There won't be any bullies. 413 00:25:58,060 --> 00:26:01,560 Nobody's gonna lie or cheat or steal. 414 00:26:01,830 --> 00:26:03,880 There won't be any gossip or slandering. 415 00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:07,980 There'll be no oppression or taking advantage of anybody. 416 00:26:09,060 --> 00:26:10,300 There won't be any loan sharks 417 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:12,500 or Uncle Sam's going around and taxing you. 418 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:17,540 There won't be any pain, no suffering or tears anymore. 419 00:26:18,260 --> 00:26:21,559 God's peace will be restored to all of the earth 420 00:26:21,580 --> 00:26:24,420 as it was back when God originally created it 421 00:26:24,470 --> 00:26:26,640 and said, it's very good. 422 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,920 That's the vision of peace that God gave Zechariah. 423 00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:37,060 That's what we see in Genesis 1. 424 00:26:37,540 --> 00:26:40,560 That's also what we see in Revelation 21. 425 00:26:42,100 --> 00:26:43,960 But this is only part of the description 426 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:46,700 of God's peace, what it's like. 427 00:26:47,500 --> 00:26:49,760 It's kind of half the coin, so to speak. 428 00:26:50,740 --> 00:26:54,620 And what's beautiful about this piece of God, this piece that is from God, 429 00:26:55,100 --> 00:26:58,260 is how circumstantial this piece is. 430 00:26:59,740 --> 00:27:01,060 Like it's very descriptive. 431 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:02,120 It's circumstantial. 432 00:27:02,290 --> 00:27:07,580 No pain, no suffering, no mean people, liars, murderers, sorcerers. 433 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:10,460 Like it's very descriptive. 434 00:27:10,700 --> 00:27:11,800 It's very circumstantial. 435 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:14,640 God will change our circumstances. 436 00:27:15,980 --> 00:27:19,040 He will restore the earth and lift the curse of sin 437 00:27:19,020 --> 00:27:21,340 so that nothing would ever disrupt our peace. 438 00:27:22,500 --> 00:27:23,380 That's our future peace. 439 00:27:24,500 --> 00:27:27,000 In this life though, we only get tastes. 440 00:27:27,650 --> 00:27:30,600 We get little samples of what it will be like 441 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:35,420 when God's peace is here and reigning unrestricted. 442 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:37,780 But there's another form of peace 443 00:27:39,060 --> 00:27:42,000 that we're to take hold of and hang on to for dear life. 444 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:45,340 It's the peace that Paul described in Philippians 4 445 00:27:45,580 --> 00:27:48,460 as the peace of God that surpasses understanding. 446 00:27:51,559 --> 00:27:57,180 Zachariah also has this piece, this piece in mind, because again, as I already mentioned, 447 00:27:57,400 --> 00:28:02,380 the Jews that he was preaching to at the time were not living under favorable circumstances. 448 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:10,640 In fact, as a nation then, and even up to the time when Jesus would come hundreds of years later 449 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:17,799 to fulfill this prophecy, Israel would never declare independence as a nation, as a geopolitical 450 00:28:17,820 --> 00:28:23,900 nation. They would always be ruled over by whatever foreign power was in control at the time. 451 00:28:25,180 --> 00:28:33,060 They would always remain under occupied force. When Jesus came, who was ruling over Israel? 452 00:28:34,120 --> 00:28:43,060 The Roman Empire. Circumstances would never align with the stars for Israel. And yet, 453 00:28:43,460 --> 00:28:45,980 they were commanded to rejoice greatly 454 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:47,880 because the king was coming. 455 00:28:49,380 --> 00:28:51,640 To make loud shouts of joy 456 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:55,340 of the coming of the king of righteousness and salvation. 457 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:58,620 So if Genesis 1 and Revelation 1 458 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:03,140 describe the tangible circumstances of God's peace, 459 00:29:04,280 --> 00:29:05,100 the peace that's coming, 460 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:08,740 Zechariah 9 and Philippians 4 461 00:29:09,340 --> 00:29:11,720 describe the spiritual circumstances 462 00:29:12,740 --> 00:29:13,560 of God's peace. 463 00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:18,680 Maybe to make it more clearly, 464 00:29:19,810 --> 00:29:21,180 our salvation through Jesus, 465 00:29:21,580 --> 00:29:22,060 our peace, 466 00:29:22,270 --> 00:29:24,000 this peace that we're talking about right now 467 00:29:24,220 --> 00:29:26,280 through Jesus is judicial. 468 00:29:27,300 --> 00:29:28,500 It's a judicial peace. 469 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:31,060 So I got a ticket last month. 470 00:29:32,380 --> 00:29:33,320 It was the end of the month. 471 00:29:33,610 --> 00:29:35,380 I was one of those, you know, 472 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:38,260 many that got pulled over 473 00:29:39,460 --> 00:29:40,760 because it was the end of the month 474 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:42,140 and they got to meet the quota, you know? 475 00:29:43,380 --> 00:29:46,460 I was one of them, not wearing a seatbelt. 476 00:29:48,500 --> 00:29:49,760 And looking at my phone. 477 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:50,640 But here's the story. 478 00:29:50,900 --> 00:29:51,680 Here's what happened. 479 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:57,160 I literally, so I left my friend's house. 480 00:29:57,680 --> 00:29:59,920 There's three houses in from the stop sign 481 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:02,580 from where the cop flashed their lights on me. 482 00:30:03,100 --> 00:30:06,060 I haven't even driven 10 seconds. 483 00:30:06,540 --> 00:30:10,380 My seatbelt alarm, it wasn't dinging at that time. 484 00:30:10,940 --> 00:30:14,400 and I was at a stop sign and I'm plugging in my phone, 485 00:30:14,570 --> 00:30:16,860 like just trying to get it charged at a stop sign. 486 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:18,220 I'm not operating the vehicle. 487 00:30:18,740 --> 00:30:20,340 I'm operating my phone at a stop sign. 488 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:22,780 I explained this to the cop. 489 00:30:22,850 --> 00:30:25,880 I also wrote in to the judge to explain to the judge, 490 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:28,720 hoping for grace, 491 00:30:28,940 --> 00:30:31,860 hoping that the judge will at least put, 492 00:30:32,550 --> 00:30:34,680 you know, waive part of the fine 493 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:36,660 because it's like 400 something dollars, you know? 494 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:39,460 And that's like almost a new surfboard. 495 00:30:39,860 --> 00:30:42,120 I don't want to waste that money. 496 00:30:42,610 --> 00:30:43,640 And so I wrote to the judge. 497 00:30:43,790 --> 00:30:45,780 And every day, this is two weeks ago, 498 00:30:46,220 --> 00:30:48,860 every day I'm eagerly going out to the mailbox 499 00:30:49,340 --> 00:30:50,060 like it's my birthday. 500 00:30:50,090 --> 00:30:52,960 I'm waiting for a birthday card when you're a kid. 501 00:30:53,340 --> 00:30:54,580 I'm like that every day. 502 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:56,020 Still heard nothing from the judge. 503 00:30:56,170 --> 00:30:57,060 I just want to know. 504 00:30:58,140 --> 00:30:58,960 Am I going to get acquitted? 505 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:00,640 Or am I guilty? 506 00:31:02,580 --> 00:31:06,980 But whether or not, whatever the sentence is, 507 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:09,900 I'll be able to write the check and pay the fine 508 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:11,620 and I'll go off and I'll be free. 509 00:31:15,140 --> 00:31:17,400 When it comes to my offense towards the holy God 510 00:31:17,460 --> 00:31:18,460 and creator of the universe, 511 00:31:19,220 --> 00:31:21,380 and this is true of you and all men, 512 00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:22,600 all men and women, 513 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:24,880 you know, there is no hope. 514 00:31:26,300 --> 00:31:29,420 There is no hope for us to pay God back, 515 00:31:29,780 --> 00:31:33,280 to make up for our sin, our offense against him. 516 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:46,840 in and of myself in and of our ourselves we are doomed condemned hopeless have no chance 517 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:56,420 for us to do anything to restore peace between us and god because of how we've sinned against him 518 00:31:57,940 --> 00:32:05,800 But that is exactly why the prophet says, that is why he commands us to rejoice, to rejoice greatly. 519 00:32:06,980 --> 00:32:09,080 Because your king is coming. 520 00:32:09,420 --> 00:32:12,500 The king of kings is coming to you. 521 00:32:14,140 --> 00:32:14,480 How? 522 00:32:15,380 --> 00:32:17,520 Righteous and having salvation. 523 00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:23,700 The gospel of Jesus Christ, that is that while we were yet sinners, 524 00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:26,480 Christ died for us. 525 00:32:27,900 --> 00:32:31,160 The righteous for the unrighteous, the godly for the ungodly. 526 00:32:32,380 --> 00:32:35,380 And made peace through the blood of his cross. 527 00:32:36,900 --> 00:32:39,580 He took your guilt and shame upon himself. 528 00:32:39,650 --> 00:32:45,820 He took my guilt and shame upon himself and gave me all of his perfect righteousness 529 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:49,420 so that I could have peace with God. 530 00:32:51,260 --> 00:32:53,700 The righteous king came in humility 531 00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:55,700 rather than all of his glory. 532 00:32:56,580 --> 00:33:00,880 He came with salvation rather than condemnation. 533 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:03,640 That's the good news. 534 00:33:04,340 --> 00:33:08,220 That's the good news that lifts every ounce of burden 535 00:33:08,300 --> 00:33:11,520 from your soul and gives absolute security to you. 536 00:33:12,980 --> 00:33:15,080 Absolute assurance, absolute peace, 537 00:33:15,260 --> 00:33:16,940 if you will receive it. 538 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:21,120 A peace that no circumstance could affect. 539 00:33:23,260 --> 00:33:25,560 See, your biggest problem, yours and mine, 540 00:33:26,660 --> 00:33:29,220 is not, it's not a temporary problem, 541 00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:31,060 it's our eternal problem. 542 00:33:33,420 --> 00:33:37,620 That we're condemned, we're guilty before a holy God. 543 00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:42,440 And the good news is that from a legal point of view, 544 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:46,520 our sin has officially been resolved. 545 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:48,600 Our guilt is gone. 546 00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:52,320 Jesus has wiped it out and give us a clean slate. 547 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:54,320 He has given us all of his righteousness. 548 00:33:54,770 --> 00:33:59,060 We're freed, we're justified, we're vindicated, we're saved. 549 00:34:00,340 --> 00:34:01,300 We're saved. 550 00:34:02,020 --> 00:34:03,760 You've been made right with God. 551 00:34:04,550 --> 00:34:07,500 And we have now all the privileges, 552 00:34:07,690 --> 00:34:10,720 the access to be in the presence of God. 553 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:22,280 In fact, he's given, he sent his Holy Spirit to indwell all of us so that we can continue to be reminded and reassured of the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. 554 00:34:23,580 --> 00:34:27,940 Sure, it would be nice if those other circumstances could change. 555 00:34:28,100 --> 00:34:34,340 It would be great if appliances didn't break down like right after the warranty's up or your truck or whatever. 556 00:34:34,570 --> 00:34:40,460 Like it would be great to have more money in the bank or if policemen didn't have quotas to meet at the end of the month. 557 00:34:40,580 --> 00:34:41,940 Like all of that would be great. 558 00:34:44,260 --> 00:34:44,860 But here's the thing. 559 00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:46,460 Even if we did have all of that, 560 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:48,280 even if we could have our cake, 561 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:54,100 those things are not able to bring peace to the soul. 562 00:34:57,200 --> 00:34:59,140 As long as we are not right with God, 563 00:35:00,260 --> 00:35:03,900 nothing in this life can bring peace to our souls. 564 00:35:04,980 --> 00:35:06,020 And so Jesus asked, 565 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:08,779 what does it profit a man to gain the whole world 566 00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:10,620 and forfeit his soul. 567 00:35:12,720 --> 00:35:14,480 But if you've been reconciled to the Lord 568 00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:15,780 through the blood of Jesus, 569 00:35:16,060 --> 00:35:17,560 your soul can rest 570 00:35:18,860 --> 00:35:21,960 because of the peace you have with him. 571 00:35:23,300 --> 00:35:24,940 This peace is yours through Jesus 572 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:27,420 who did come 573 00:35:28,380 --> 00:35:30,800 just as Zechariah prophesied he would. 574 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:31,920 But check it out. 575 00:35:32,280 --> 00:35:33,900 When Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, 576 00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:35,800 exactly how Zechariah described, 577 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:38,340 he went on to weep for the Jews. 578 00:35:39,140 --> 00:35:41,680 because they were so overly concerned 579 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:44,940 with the circumstantial kinds of peace 580 00:35:45,140 --> 00:35:46,140 that they were longing for 581 00:35:46,330 --> 00:35:48,040 that they ended up being blinded 582 00:35:48,250 --> 00:35:49,780 to the divine peace 583 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:52,480 that he was offering them. 584 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:56,140 So if you go to Luke 19, 585 00:35:56,670 --> 00:35:57,260 you can go there, 586 00:35:57,650 --> 00:35:58,480 I could just read it. 587 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:00,460 Luke 19, it says this. 588 00:36:01,700 --> 00:36:03,940 When Jesus drew near the Bethpage and Bethany 589 00:36:04,340 --> 00:36:05,860 at the mount that is called Olivet, 590 00:36:06,380 --> 00:36:08,140 he sent two of his disciples saying, 591 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:13,600 go into the village in front of you, where on entering you'll find a colt tied, and on which 592 00:36:13,780 --> 00:36:20,560 no one has ever, has yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, why are you untying it? 593 00:36:20,860 --> 00:36:27,360 You shall say this, the Lord has need of it. So those who were sent away and found it just as he 594 00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:32,980 had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owner said to them, why are you untying the 595 00:36:32,980 --> 00:36:39,800 colt. And they said, the Lord has need of it. And they brought it to Jesus and throwing their cloaks 596 00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:46,540 on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 597 00:36:47,140 --> 00:36:52,480 As he was drawing near, already on the way down the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his 598 00:36:52,660 --> 00:36:58,799 disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they'd 599 00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:06,580 seen saying, blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven and glory in the 600 00:37:06,740 --> 00:37:12,300 highest. And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, teacher, rebuke your disciples, 601 00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:21,940 calling you king. He answered, I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out. 602 00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:32,680 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it saying, would that you, even you had known 603 00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:39,740 on this day, the things that make for peace, but now they are hidden from your eyes for the days 604 00:37:39,940 --> 00:37:45,560 will come upon you when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem 605 00:37:45,920 --> 00:37:50,940 you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. 606 00:37:51,740 --> 00:37:55,140 And they will not leave one stone upon another in you 607 00:37:55,780 --> 00:37:59,400 because you did not know the time of your visitation. 608 00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:04,740 You see, if your ultimate idea of peace is in worldly things 609 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:07,920 like politics or financial portfolios 610 00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:09,860 or a career or personal achievement, 611 00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:12,960 you might feel proud at the moment. 612 00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:15,980 Here's the thing, Jesus is weeping for you. 613 00:38:17,860 --> 00:38:21,700 Jesus is weeping because you do not know the things 614 00:38:21,720 --> 00:38:31,920 actually make for peace. Again, nothing wrong or sinful about enjoying the good things of life. 615 00:38:33,180 --> 00:38:38,860 Like I also have a hot tub at home, you know, Facebook marketplace special that I fire, like, 616 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:47,600 and I am just so grateful for this tub of 103 degree water of just this tub of peace that I 617 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:49,000 get to enjoy, love it. 618 00:38:51,620 --> 00:38:55,040 But the issue is when we seek to build our lives 619 00:38:56,020 --> 00:38:57,240 on these temporary pleasures, 620 00:38:58,620 --> 00:39:01,620 to rest our souls in these earthly circumstances, 621 00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:07,020 thinking those can bring me peace, 622 00:39:07,640 --> 00:39:09,600 even though the reality is they could just change 623 00:39:09,720 --> 00:39:10,980 at any moment. 624 00:39:13,180 --> 00:39:14,700 Jesus' heart was broken for these people 625 00:39:14,700 --> 00:39:17,400 who were foolishly hoping they could enjoy 626 00:39:18,500 --> 00:39:26,180 world peace without first coming to know the divine peace that Jesus came to bring 627 00:39:26,700 --> 00:39:35,120 between themselves and God. You see the difference? We cannot think that the forms, 628 00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:41,140 the circumstances of world peace could actually bring us peace without first having this divine 629 00:39:41,220 --> 00:39:50,720 peace, us being reconciled with God. So this year, my wife and I decided instead of a bunch of 630 00:39:50,870 --> 00:39:55,700 presents for the kids, we're going to do something different with our kids. We're going to take them 631 00:39:55,710 --> 00:39:59,740 on an experience, a family experience. We're going to take them to Kauai. They've never been to any 632 00:39:59,820 --> 00:40:04,140 of the neighbor islands. And so we're going to surprise them and take them, use our credit card 633 00:40:04,360 --> 00:40:09,599 points and miles and all that stuff. And we're going to go take them to Kauai and just enjoy 634 00:40:09,600 --> 00:40:14,200 family and build memories that they're going to love and look back on forever. 635 00:40:15,500 --> 00:40:20,340 That's the hope. That's our hope. That's the kind of peace Jesus offers. 636 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:30,580 It's relational. It's his presence, his acceptance of you, his commitment to you, 637 00:40:30,750 --> 00:40:36,720 that he will always have your back. He's always there to protect, to provide, to care for you 638 00:40:37,740 --> 00:40:39,540 Because your king comes to you. 639 00:40:40,900 --> 00:40:41,840 He's coming to you. 640 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:43,520 And he came to you. 641 00:40:44,160 --> 00:40:46,080 The king of kings is for you. 642 00:40:46,180 --> 00:40:47,640 He's not against you. 643 00:40:48,460 --> 00:40:51,480 Therefore, rejoice in this peace. 644 00:40:52,720 --> 00:40:53,840 Rejoice in the peace. 645 00:40:56,560 --> 00:40:59,160 And finally, last point I want to make. 646 00:41:00,100 --> 00:41:01,480 Pursue peace for others. 647 00:41:03,360 --> 00:41:05,540 This is the other part of Zechariah's message 648 00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:08,500 and his command for the returning exiles. 649 00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:10,620 For thus says the Lord of hosts, 650 00:41:11,400 --> 00:41:13,840 as I purposed to bring disaster to you 651 00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:16,280 when your fathers provoked me to wrath 652 00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:18,480 and I did not relent, says the Lord of hosts, 653 00:41:18,980 --> 00:41:21,640 so again have I purposed in these days 654 00:41:21,780 --> 00:41:24,900 to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 655 00:41:25,820 --> 00:41:26,340 Fear not. 656 00:41:27,220 --> 00:41:28,700 These are the things that you shall do. 657 00:41:29,940 --> 00:41:31,740 Speak the truth to one another. 658 00:41:32,660 --> 00:41:34,860 Render in your gates judgments that are true 659 00:41:34,860 --> 00:41:36,240 and make for peace. 660 00:41:37,230 --> 00:41:40,380 Do not devise evil in your hearts against one another 661 00:41:41,160 --> 00:41:42,560 and love no false oath. 662 00:41:42,890 --> 00:41:45,760 For all these things I hate, declares the Lord. 663 00:41:48,400 --> 00:41:50,220 Zechariah was reminding them 664 00:41:50,790 --> 00:41:53,740 that the whole reason they were exiled to begin with 665 00:41:54,170 --> 00:41:58,660 is because they were not speaking the truth to one another. 666 00:41:58,810 --> 00:42:00,520 They were not seeking peace 667 00:42:01,420 --> 00:42:03,420 through being generous and helpful. 668 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:08,200 They were bringing chaos and oppression to one another 669 00:42:08,520 --> 00:42:10,760 because they were disobeying God and his commands, 670 00:42:11,640 --> 00:42:14,100 which is basically love the Lord your God 671 00:42:14,420 --> 00:42:15,680 with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength 672 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:17,100 and love your neighbor as yourself. 673 00:42:18,980 --> 00:42:20,940 What a peaceful place it would be 674 00:42:21,500 --> 00:42:24,320 if we loved the Lord and loved our neighbors as ourself. 675 00:42:26,420 --> 00:42:27,760 Do you know that one of the main reasons 676 00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:30,180 God made a nation from Abraham 677 00:42:30,960 --> 00:42:32,900 was so that they would experience 678 00:42:33,300 --> 00:42:35,260 that a nation would grow, 679 00:42:35,460 --> 00:42:36,740 would be raised up to experience 680 00:42:36,910 --> 00:42:39,360 what it's like to know God and his peace, 681 00:42:40,620 --> 00:42:45,040 for them to be his people and he their God. 682 00:42:45,980 --> 00:42:50,240 And when the world would see a loving, caring, 683 00:42:50,980 --> 00:42:54,260 forgiving and holy people thriving and enjoying 684 00:42:54,960 --> 00:42:57,300 peace with God, blessings of God, 685 00:42:57,680 --> 00:42:59,420 they would see and they would understand 686 00:42:59,440 --> 00:43:03,140 what it's like to know and live with God's peace. 687 00:43:03,920 --> 00:43:06,960 Like, wow, look how well everyone's doing. 688 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:10,040 Look how humble they all are. 689 00:43:10,210 --> 00:43:12,940 Look how respectable they all are towards each other. 690 00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:16,180 Look how safe and secure it is there in Israel. 691 00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:20,600 Look how kind, forgiving, and generous God is to them 692 00:43:20,790 --> 00:43:22,140 and they are to one another. 693 00:43:22,600 --> 00:43:26,160 Everyone is so nice there and helpful. 694 00:43:27,900 --> 00:43:28,860 At least that was the intention. 695 00:43:30,880 --> 00:43:36,780 the sad truth is that Israel never got to a point where life was marked by a peaceful relationship 696 00:43:37,620 --> 00:43:44,320 with God and their neighbor rather than being a place of God's refuge and redemption 697 00:43:45,610 --> 00:43:52,140 became a place that was dangerous and scary people couldn't be trusted there was no mercy 698 00:43:52,280 --> 00:43:59,000 no grace, no forgiveness. God was forgiving them and showing tons of kindness and mercy 699 00:43:59,520 --> 00:44:05,620 and steadfast love to them, but it wasn't being passed on. The vulnerable were being oppressed 700 00:44:06,880 --> 00:44:12,320 rather than helped. People were self-seeking, would bear false witness in order to get ahead. 701 00:44:13,680 --> 00:44:17,740 And over and over and over, God sent his prophets to call them to repent, 702 00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:21,920 To stop rendering hypocritical worship to God 703 00:44:22,160 --> 00:44:24,920 and being hateful and unloving to their neighbors. 704 00:44:26,180 --> 00:44:26,940 But they wouldn't listen. 705 00:44:28,140 --> 00:44:29,680 And that's why God sent them into exile. 706 00:44:31,300 --> 00:44:33,040 And now that God was bringing them back 707 00:44:33,580 --> 00:44:35,520 and restoring peace with them, 708 00:44:35,900 --> 00:44:38,200 restoring peace with these prisoners of hope, 709 00:44:39,540 --> 00:44:43,520 he calls these prisoners of hope to go and be peacemakers. 710 00:44:45,640 --> 00:44:48,360 They were to spread his shalom, his peace, 711 00:44:48,660 --> 00:44:49,620 wherever they went. 712 00:44:51,780 --> 00:44:53,540 And you know that's what Jesus calls us to do? 713 00:44:54,160 --> 00:44:54,880 Same thing. 714 00:44:55,980 --> 00:44:58,340 That's what the local church is to be marked as, 715 00:44:58,640 --> 00:45:02,860 this place of refuge, this place of God's peace. 716 00:45:04,520 --> 00:45:06,400 Jesus calls us to be peacemakers. 717 00:45:06,660 --> 00:45:09,320 And he gives a promise, blessed are the peacemakers 718 00:45:09,460 --> 00:45:11,780 for they shall be called sons of God. 719 00:45:12,460 --> 00:45:15,840 Look, he's just like his dad, his heavenly father. 720 00:45:15,880 --> 00:45:21,040 She's just like her dad, her heavenly father, the peacemaker, the prince of peace. 721 00:45:24,640 --> 00:45:29,840 For some, the first thing you need to do, the first area that you need to be focused, 722 00:45:30,360 --> 00:45:35,260 laser focused on right now when it comes to being a peacemaker is in your marriage. 723 00:45:36,800 --> 00:45:40,980 To do whatever it takes to be at peace with your spouse. 724 00:45:42,240 --> 00:45:44,760 For others, you need to seek peace with your family. 725 00:45:46,580 --> 00:45:52,160 For others, you're called to seek peace in your workplace, your community, wherever you go. 726 00:45:52,390 --> 00:45:55,640 Paul says it like this, another command in Romans 12. 727 00:45:55,990 --> 00:46:03,460 He says, if possible, as far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 728 00:46:05,780 --> 00:46:09,640 Paul is simply calling us to be like Jesus here. 729 00:46:11,080 --> 00:46:15,280 In the same way, Jesus went as far as he could 730 00:46:16,670 --> 00:46:17,960 to bring peace to you and I 731 00:46:18,990 --> 00:46:22,380 through humbling himself by becoming a man 732 00:46:23,640 --> 00:46:25,480 and continuing to humble himself 733 00:46:26,330 --> 00:46:28,680 by becoming a servant of man 734 00:46:29,710 --> 00:46:31,680 and then continuing to humble himself 735 00:46:31,910 --> 00:46:35,240 to go the distance, to die on a cross 736 00:46:36,030 --> 00:46:38,220 for our sins, for your sin and mine. 737 00:46:40,599 --> 00:46:43,340 that's how far Jesus went to make peace 738 00:46:45,359 --> 00:46:49,000 and Paul calls us to do the same thing Jesus calls us to do the same thing 739 00:46:49,980 --> 00:46:52,100 as far as it depends on us 740 00:46:54,180 --> 00:47:01,280 to be at peace to seek peace for others see the world isn't right it's not right 741 00:47:01,640 --> 00:47:07,000 circumstances are not prime for peace but as far as it depends on you 742 00:47:08,079 --> 00:47:14,600 you can do something about it you're called to do something about it seek peace with others so that 743 00:47:14,740 --> 00:47:21,840 by god's grace we can all enjoy and experience more of what it looks like to be a people 744 00:47:22,400 --> 00:47:31,540 who know god's peace and are experiencing god's there's all of you all of you to do whatever it 745 00:47:31,560 --> 00:47:39,180 takes to go as far as it depends on you to make this a place of refuge, a place of peace, your 746 00:47:39,480 --> 00:47:45,160 home, a place of refuge, a place of peace, your workplace, this community, it depends on you. 747 00:47:45,600 --> 00:47:52,160 You're called to this, to be peacemakers. And even if the circumstances aren't great, 748 00:47:52,840 --> 00:47:59,120 they're not favorable, even if your hard work, your sacrifice isn't paying off and things aren't 749 00:47:59,180 --> 00:48:09,580 becoming that peaceful, rejoice in God. Rejoice in God's peace. Rejoice in him. Rejoice in the hope 750 00:48:09,580 --> 00:48:17,140 of his glory to come, our eternal peace with him, and continue to fight for, to work hard, 751 00:48:18,680 --> 00:48:25,820 to be peacemakers, to seek peace in others. Church, let's pray and let's respond. Let's rejoice 752 00:48:25,840 --> 00:48:27,880 greatly in the peace 753 00:48:28,260 --> 00:48:29,700 of our Lord and our Savior, 754 00:48:29,840 --> 00:48:31,720 our King, who has come to us. 755 00:48:32,540 --> 00:48:33,000 Let me pray.