Today, we are going to take a posture of peace
by leaning on the God of all comfort.
Posture is a short, audible fist bump
to remind you God is with you in everything.
Together, we're going to be emboldened
to take a daily posture of perfect peace.
In 2 Corinthians chapter one, verses three and four,
it says,
Now, I've said it before,
we, followers of Jesus Christ,
people of the kingdom of God,
we are in this world, but we are not of it.
Now, we are in it gladly,
because each and every one of us
have been placed here on earth by our creator.
The very breath in my lungs
is there by his design and his will,
and I rejoice in his will.
And I know you do too.
We are not in this world by accident.
We're not in this world
for the sake of some grinding mission
that sucks the life out of us
and keeps us on the edge all the time.
No, we are here to be displays of the glory of God.
And this calling, this purpose,
outshines any man-made spotlight or platform,
and it withstands any man-made or devil-made
intimidation or accusation.
Now, some of us will be called to stages
and to large crowds,
but all of us are going to be called to real-life spaces,
homes and neighborhoods and workplaces and classrooms,
and that is by no means a lesser calling.
That is the calling, because it's in those spaces,
I believe, the most transformative work is done,
because it's in those spaces
where affliction has its way with people.
It's in those real-life spaces
where dysfunction and fear and depression
and stress and sickness try to hold people captive.
But it's in those real-life spaces
where the God of all comfort reigns in you and through you.
Now, 2020 has been an uncomfortable year.
It's been a year where most worldly comforts
have been stripped away, or at least stripped down.
But for the people of God,
it has not been a year without comfort,
because we serve the God of all comfort,
and he comforts us in all our affliction,
and the beauty of the kingdom of God
is everything is multiplied.
So the comfort that we receive from God
empowers us to bring comfort to others and their affliction.
The lie is that because life is uncomfortable,
we must live without comfort.
The lie is that perhaps it's God's will
that we live without comfort,
that because life is hard, God must be hard too.
He must want it this way.
Do not buy the lie that God has left you in this world
to scrape by until you make it to heaven.
It does not honor him to disregard his comfort.
We're not called to live comfortable lives.
We're people of the kingdom of God.
We're movers and shakers and pioneers and builders,
and we are light bearers in a world full of darkness.
So no, we're not going to live comfortable lives
by the world's standards,
but we are called to live comforted lives
and comforting lives, even in the midst of affliction.
We are in this world gladly, on fire and on mission,
but we're not of this world.
We don't rise or fall by the schemes of Satan.
We don't flinch at his works.
It's not that we're unaware of them.
It's just that we are so much more aware
of the God who we actually belong to.
So if you need comfort today,
if you need to be comforted,
lean on the God of all comfort.
I often lean on him through worship music
and through scripture.
The Psalms are a wonderful place to start.
And as you receive comfort,
you will be empowered to comfort others
because we're in this world gladly.
You know, I'm reminded of 2 Corinthians 2, verse 14.
It says, thanks be to God,
who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession
and through us spreads the phrase.
of the knowledge of Him everywhere.
The promise of perfect peace is found in Isaiah 26.3.
In Hebrew, it is shalom, shalom, meaning complete wholeness,
nothing missing, nothing broken.
This is who you are in Jesus because of Jesus.
You are a living testimony of Jesus' ultimate win.
With every step you take today, you're putting Jesus' victory
on display and Satan's defeat on replay.