WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.400
Today, we are going to take a posture of peace by trusting God's undivided heart towards us.

2
00:00:07.920 --> 00:00:12.640
Posture is a short, audible fist bump to remind you God is with you in everything.

3
00:00:13.200 --> 00:00:17.440
Together, we're going to be emboldened to take a daily posture of perfect peace.

4
00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:26.240
I have really good news for you today coming from Hebrews chapter 13,

5
00:00:26.240 --> 00:00:35.600
verse 8. It says, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

6
00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:43.840
So many people are at war within themselves right now. They are living with divided hearts because

7
00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:50.160
they believe deep down that God's heart is divided towards them. They believe that His

8
00:00:50.160 --> 00:00:55.840
goodness, His kindness, His faithfulness, all the things that He promises to be are

9
00:00:55.840 --> 00:01:02.240
conditional. They believe that His promises are conditional on their nature, not His.

10
00:01:03.440 --> 00:01:09.760
They don't trust that His character is unchanging. They don't trust that His promises

11
00:01:09.760 --> 00:01:16.800
are unwavering. They don't trust that His blessings, His callings, His gifts are irrevocable.

12
00:01:16.800 --> 00:01:23.600
They actually believe that He's only good as long as they are good. That He's only faithful

13
00:01:24.160 --> 00:01:29.360
if they remain faithful. And so they put their trust in other things.

14
00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:35.520
They put their trust in political leaders and in systems and finances.

15
00:01:35.520 --> 00:01:38.560
They put their trust in their own ability to somehow protect themselves.

16
00:01:39.440 --> 00:01:47.920
But you have to know, you have to know that on your best days and on your worst days,

17
00:01:48.800 --> 00:01:55.600
God never changes His mind about you. He's not bipolar. He's not burning with love for you one

18
00:01:55.600 --> 00:02:04.160
day and then burning with anger towards you the next. No, He is the same yesterday, today, and

19
00:02:04.720 --> 00:02:14.160
and forever. God is permanently passionate about you and and He's permanently passionate

20
00:02:14.160 --> 00:02:21.760
about the person to your right and to your left. The religious spirit so wants us to believe that

21
00:02:21.760 --> 00:02:29.120
it is up to us to change ourselves and to change each other so that our collective good behavior

22
00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:35.840
can protect us from the anger of God and perhaps, you know, unlock His goodness towards us.

23
00:02:36.720 --> 00:02:42.800
The religious spirit actually wants us to believe that God will only be loving if we first make

24
00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:49.040
ourselves lovable. But if we could do that, if we could truly change ourselves and please God

25
00:02:49.040 --> 00:02:55.280
by our own self-efforts, then Jesus would not have had to come. And He had to come.

26
00:02:55.280 --> 00:03:02.960
Read Ephesians chapter 2. The political spirit wants us to believe that it's up to us to love

27
00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:08.720
ourselves and each other so that our collective love can govern us into some kind of utopian

28
00:03:08.720 --> 00:03:13.600
society where we won't even need God. But if we could do that, if we could truly love ourselves,

29
00:03:13.600 --> 00:03:19.840
if we could authentically love others, Jesus would not have had to come. And He had to come.

30
00:03:20.480 --> 00:03:29.920
The Bible says we love because He first loved us. We can't even love without Him. The Bible says

31
00:03:30.640 --> 00:03:37.920
God is love. So any love preached or teached to you outside of Jesus is counterfeit.

32
00:03:39.440 --> 00:03:47.520
It's imperative for us Jesus followers not just to believe that there is a God, but to believe

33
00:03:47.520 --> 00:03:54.880
God, to trust that He is who He says He is. It's critical for us to have an unchanging sense of

34
00:03:54.880 --> 00:04:02.640
God's unchanging nature because we are being made into His image and likeness. God has offered us

35
00:04:03.200 --> 00:04:09.520
His unchanging self so that we too can become unchanging in our own nature and character

36
00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:15.600
no matter what is occurring. We don't have to be tossed around and beat up by false doctrine or

37
00:04:15.600 --> 00:04:24.320
political systems or worldly thinking. When we see God accurately, we finally see ourselves

38
00:04:24.320 --> 00:04:32.160
accurately and then we live accordingly. Our prayers become faith-filled and powerful.

39
00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:40.400
Our love is authentic. Our engagement in society and culture brings heaven to earth. We live not

40
00:04:40.400 --> 00:04:47.840
as beggars for His blessing but as co-heirs with Christ. So no matter what you face today,

41
00:04:47.840 --> 00:04:53.680
no matter what your week may hold for you, for your community, for your nation, remember

42
00:04:54.640 --> 00:04:59.840
Jesus Christ, your Messiah, your Savior, your Redeemer,

43
00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:09.180
the same yesterday and today and forever. He loves you and his heart towards you

44
00:05:09.180 --> 00:05:16.440
is always undivided. The promise of perfect peace is found in

45
00:05:16.440 --> 00:05:24.600
Isaiah 26 3. In Hebrew it is shalom shalom, meaning complete wholeness, nothing

46
00:05:24.600 --> 00:05:32.480
missing, nothing broken. This is who you are in Jesus because of Jesus. You are a

47
00:05:32.480 --> 00:05:38.160
living testimony of Jesus's ultimate win. With every step you take today you're

48
00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:44.840
putting Jesus's victory on display and Satan's defeat on replay.