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Today, we are going to take a posture of peace

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by leaning on the God of all comfort.

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Posture is a short, audible fist bump

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to remind you God is with you in everything.

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Together, we're going to be emboldened

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to take a daily posture of perfect peace.

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In 2 Corinthians chapter one, verses three and four,

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it says,

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Now, I've said it before,

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we, followers of Jesus Christ,

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people of the kingdom of God,

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we are in this world, but we are not of it.

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Now, we are in it gladly,

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because each and every one of us

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have been placed here on earth by our creator.

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The very breath in my lungs

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is there by his design and his will,

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and I rejoice in his will.

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And I know you do too.

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We are not in this world by accident.

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We're not in this world

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for the sake of some grinding mission

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that sucks the life out of us

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and keeps us on the edge all the time.

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No, we are here to be displays of the glory of God.

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And this calling, this purpose,

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outshines any man-made spotlight or platform,

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and it withstands any man-made or devil-made

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intimidation or accusation.

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Now, some of us will be called to stages

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and to large crowds,

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but all of us are going to be called to real-life spaces,

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homes and neighborhoods and workplaces and classrooms,

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and that is by no means a lesser calling.

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That is the calling, because it's in those spaces,

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I believe, the most transformative work is done,

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because it's in those spaces

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where affliction has its way with people.

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It's in those real-life spaces

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where dysfunction and fear and depression

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and stress and sickness try to hold people captive.

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But it's in those real-life spaces

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where the God of all comfort reigns in you and through you.

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Now, 2020 has been an uncomfortable year.

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It's been a year where most worldly comforts

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have been stripped away, or at least stripped down.

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But for the people of God,

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it has not been a year without comfort,

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because we serve the God of all comfort,

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and he comforts us in all our affliction,

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and the beauty of the kingdom of God

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is everything is multiplied.

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So the comfort that we receive from God

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empowers us to bring comfort to others and their affliction.

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The lie is that because life is uncomfortable,

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we must live without comfort.

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The lie is that perhaps it's God's will

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that we live without comfort,

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that because life is hard, God must be hard too.

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He must want it this way.

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Do not buy the lie that God has left you in this world

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to scrape by until you make it to heaven.

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It does not honor him to disregard his comfort.

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We're not called to live comfortable lives.

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We're people of the kingdom of God.

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We're movers and shakers and pioneers and builders,

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and we are light bearers in a world full of darkness.

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So no, we're not going to live comfortable lives

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by the world's standards,

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but we are called to live comforted lives

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and comforting lives, even in the midst of affliction.

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We are in this world gladly, on fire and on mission,

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but we're not of this world.

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We don't rise or fall by the schemes of Satan.

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We don't flinch at his works.

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It's not that we're unaware of them.

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It's just that we are so much more aware

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of the God who we actually belong to.

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So if you need comfort today,

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if you need to be comforted,

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lean on the God of all comfort.

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I often lean on him through worship music

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and through scripture.

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The Psalms are a wonderful place to start.

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And as you receive comfort,

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you will be empowered to comfort others

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because we're in this world gladly.

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You know, I'm reminded of 2 Corinthians 2, verse 14.

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It says, thanks be to God,

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who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession

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and through us spreads the phrase.

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of the knowledge of Him everywhere.

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The promise of perfect peace is found in Isaiah 26.3.

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In Hebrew, it is shalom, shalom, meaning complete wholeness,

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nothing missing, nothing broken.

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This is who you are in Jesus because of Jesus.

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You are a living testimony of Jesus' ultimate win.

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With every step you take today, you're putting Jesus' victory

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on display and Satan's defeat on replay.