WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.460 We're going to take on a posture of peace by becoming fully convinced that God is able 2 00:00:07.460 --> 00:00:10.820 to do what he has promised. 3 00:00:10.820 --> 00:00:12.360 And you know what? 4 00:00:12.360 --> 00:00:16.680 We are going to run hell dry. 5 00:00:16.680 --> 00:00:20.440 Hi, I'm Lindsay Van Zale. 6 00:00:20.440 --> 00:00:24.920 Posture is a podcast that serves as a short, audible fist bump to remind you that God is 7 00:00:24.920 --> 00:00:25.920 in everything. 8 00:00:26.120 --> 00:00:34.040 Together, we're going to be emboldened to take a daily posture of perfect peace. 9 00:00:34.040 --> 00:00:38.880 In Romans chapter 4, Paul summarizes the life of Abraham. 10 00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:43.440 You can read the full story in the book of Genesis, starting in Genesis 12. 11 00:00:43.440 --> 00:00:44.800 I really encourage you to read it. 12 00:00:44.800 --> 00:00:46.960 It's fantastic. 13 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:51.280 In Romans chapter 4, though, we see a summary of what happened in the life of Abraham, and 14 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:56.800 specifically Paul highlights the faith of Abraham. 15 00:00:56.800 --> 00:01:01.560 Quick backstory, Abraham was promised by God that he would be the father of many nations, 16 00:01:01.560 --> 00:01:04.840 but there were two natural obstacles to that promise. 17 00:01:04.840 --> 00:01:08.520 The first was that Abraham and his wife Sarah were barren. 18 00:01:08.520 --> 00:01:10.460 They could not have children on their own. 19 00:01:10.460 --> 00:01:13.200 The second obstacle came as time went on. 20 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:17.280 As they were waiting for this promise to be fulfilled, they got old. 21 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:22.640 So old that they were no longer in the natural, able to have children for sure. 22 00:01:22.640 --> 00:01:28.040 So basically, what had maybe been kind of possible, or slightly more believable, became 23 00:01:28.040 --> 00:01:30.640 definitely impossible in the natural. 24 00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:34.680 And this is what Paul writes about Abraham in chapter 4, verse 19. 25 00:01:34.680 --> 00:01:35.680 He says, 26 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:43.440 Abraham did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, or when he considered the barrenness 27 00:01:43.440 --> 00:01:44.800 of Sarah's womb. 28 00:01:44.920 --> 00:01:51.320 No, instead, he says no unbelief made Abraham waver concerning the promise of God. 29 00:01:51.320 --> 00:01:56.280 But he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was 30 00:01:56.280 --> 00:01:59.760 able to do what he promised to do. 31 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:03.480 And then we skip down a little bit and we jump into chapter 5, and Paul writes this. 32 00:02:03.480 --> 00:02:04.480 He says, 33 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:10.680 Through Jesus Christ, we also have obtained access by faith into the grace in which we 34 00:02:10.680 --> 00:02:11.920 now stand. 35 00:02:11.960 --> 00:02:15.480 And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 36 00:02:15.480 --> 00:02:17.840 But not just that, he writes, he says, 37 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:24.000 But also we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance 38 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:27.920 produces character, and character produces hope. 39 00:02:27.920 --> 00:02:32.880 And it is a hope that does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our 40 00:02:32.880 --> 00:02:37.320 hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 41 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:41.960 Now in episode 32, we talked about James 1, which actually has a very similar invitation 42 00:02:41.960 --> 00:02:43.360 as Romans 5. 43 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:44.360 James 1 says, 44 00:02:44.360 --> 00:02:47.640 Count it all joy when you meet various trials. 45 00:02:47.640 --> 00:02:52.280 And then we find in Romans 5, it says rejoice in suffering. 46 00:02:52.280 --> 00:02:57.040 Now as we talked about in episode 32, these scriptures are not telling us to be happy 47 00:02:57.040 --> 00:02:58.520 about our pain. 48 00:02:58.520 --> 00:03:04.160 Instead, what they're saying is that while we're in pain, while we're facing trials, 49 00:03:04.160 --> 00:03:11.040 we can rejoice in the confidence we have as people of God, knowing that something beautiful 50 00:03:11.040 --> 00:03:16.320 is being formed in us as we experience our suffering. 51 00:03:16.320 --> 00:03:18.000 Now why is that good news? 52 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:23.240 Well, because in this world, Jesus said we're going to have trouble. 53 00:03:23.240 --> 00:03:26.000 Because it's a troubled world. 54 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:29.200 But we don't have to succumb to the trouble. 55 00:03:29.200 --> 00:03:33.080 We don't have to be depleted by it, or stripped bare by it. 56 00:03:33.080 --> 00:03:39.800 Instead, we can actually come out of suffering stronger than we were before it. 57 00:03:39.800 --> 00:03:44.080 And here is an out-of-this-world thought. 58 00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:52.560 According to Romans 5, my suffering doesn't have to lead to my despair and hopelessness. 59 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:57.880 No, my suffering can actually produce hope. 60 00:03:57.880 --> 00:04:03.720 Romans 5 says that suffering in us produces endurance, a strength. 61 00:04:03.720 --> 00:04:06.120 It produces character. 62 00:04:06.120 --> 00:04:08.120 Another translation is proof. 63 00:04:08.120 --> 00:04:09.120 It is proven. 64 00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:11.960 The experience shows us that it is true. 65 00:04:11.960 --> 00:04:15.920 And then that produces hope that does not put us to shame. 66 00:04:15.920 --> 00:04:17.600 It does not disappoint. 67 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:21.160 But here's what's even more incredible. 68 00:04:21.160 --> 00:04:28.920 This promise means that it is very expensive for Satan to mess with us. 69 00:04:28.920 --> 00:04:34.100 Because according to the word of God, the more that Satan throws at us, the stronger 70 00:04:34.100 --> 00:04:35.720 we get. 71 00:04:35.720 --> 00:04:39.400 The more proof of the promise we gain. 72 00:04:39.400 --> 00:04:42.380 And the more hope we accumulate. 73 00:04:42.380 --> 00:04:47.040 So think about that right now in the context of what we all find ourselves in with this 74 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:51.200 health pandemic, this coronavirus, okay? 75 00:04:51.200 --> 00:04:59.200 I'm watching right now as the people of God are rising up all around the world. 76 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:04.040 We are all leaning into God for our peace and comfort. 77 00:05:04.040 --> 00:05:07.240 We are embracing his promises. 78 00:05:07.240 --> 00:05:09.960 We are receiving innovation from heaven right now 79 00:05:09.960 --> 00:05:12.320 for our businesses and our churches 80 00:05:12.320 --> 00:05:15.080 to do things like never before. 81 00:05:15.080 --> 00:05:18.760 We are surrendering the pace that we were all running 82 00:05:18.760 --> 00:05:20.960 that quite honestly ran a lot of us ragged, 83 00:05:20.960 --> 00:05:25.000 and instead we're taking time right now to rest. 84 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:27.600 We are connecting with our friends and family, 85 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:29.360 even if it's through a screen, 86 00:05:29.400 --> 00:05:34.320 with such a deeper level of appreciation for our community. 87 00:05:34.320 --> 00:05:36.800 We are rising up and serving our neighbors 88 00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:38.120 like our actual neighbors, 89 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:40.280 the people that live across the street from us 90 00:05:40.280 --> 00:05:42.480 who are most vulnerable, some of them right now 91 00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:44.360 with their medical conditions and their age, 92 00:05:44.360 --> 00:05:46.880 and we are helping them with practical needs 93 00:05:46.880 --> 00:05:48.640 like running errands and making sure 94 00:05:48.640 --> 00:05:51.640 that no one is left to fend for themselves. 95 00:05:51.640 --> 00:05:56.160 We're all becoming stronger right now. 96 00:05:56.160 --> 00:06:00.880 These promises are being proven again and again 97 00:06:00.880 --> 00:06:01.920 in our lives right now. 98 00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:06.920 We are gaining experience, and it's producing a hope in us 99 00:06:07.140 --> 00:06:10.020 that is not going to put us to shame, 100 00:06:11.100 --> 00:06:16.100 but it will put someone to shame, our enemy. 101 00:06:17.280 --> 00:06:20.780 I am convinced that this coronavirus, 102 00:06:20.780 --> 00:06:25.780 this global health crisis is going to run hell. 103 00:06:26.400 --> 00:06:30.640 It's going to run hell dry. 104 00:06:30.640 --> 00:06:34.280 So imagine our world, imagine your own world, 105 00:06:34.280 --> 00:06:36.240 what it's going to look like 106 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:38.960 on the other side of this health crisis 107 00:06:38.960 --> 00:06:43.600 with a hell that has been run dry. 108 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:48.600 This is how our mighty God and all of heaven responds 109 00:06:49.840 --> 00:06:54.840 to Satan's attacks against us, but we get to decide. 110 00:06:54.840 --> 00:06:58.480 We have a free choice to decide whose plan 111 00:06:58.480 --> 00:07:00.680 are we going to be a part of today? 112 00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:03.760 Whose plan will we glorify? 113 00:07:03.760 --> 00:07:08.760 Are we going to boast in the enormity of this crisis 114 00:07:09.280 --> 00:07:10.560 or are we going to boast about, 115 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:14.740 rejoice in the extravagance of God's goodness today? 116 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:18.400 I would love to invite us all to take our cue 117 00:07:18.400 --> 00:07:23.400 from Abraham today and let's let no unbelief 118 00:07:24.120 --> 00:07:27.800 make us waver concerning the promise of God, 119 00:07:27.800 --> 00:07:30.960 but instead let's grow strong in our faith 120 00:07:30.960 --> 00:07:34.640 by giving glory to God, setting our expectations 121 00:07:34.640 --> 00:07:38.760 on what he can do, becoming fully convinced 122 00:07:38.760 --> 00:07:43.760 that God is able to do what he has promised. 123 00:07:44.520 --> 00:07:49.160 The promise of perfect peace is found in Isaiah 26 three, 124 00:07:49.160 --> 00:07:52.640 and in Hebrew, it is shalom, shalom, 125 00:07:52.640 --> 00:07:57.640 meaning complete wholeness, nothing missing, nothing broken. 126 00:07:58.360 --> 00:08:01.040 This is who you are in Jesus. 127 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:03.040 Let's declare this together. 128 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:06.640 Today, I am kept in perfect peace. 129 00:08:06.640 --> 00:08:09.720 With my whole heart, I trust the Lord. 130 00:08:09.720 --> 00:08:14.280 I am strong, I am victorious, I am whole. 131 00:08:14.280 --> 00:08:16.920 Remember friend, you are a living testimony 132 00:08:16.920 --> 00:08:21.000 of Jesus' ultimate win, not because of anything you did, 133 00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:23.220 but because of what he did for you. 134 00:08:23.220 --> 00:08:24.760 With every step you take today, 135 00:08:24.760 --> 00:08:27.700 you're putting Jesus' victory on display 136 00:08:27.700 --> 00:08:30.160 and Satan's defeat on replay.