I should say this, a time we should be able to look forward to. I mean, I'm excited. I'm going to be going to heaven and stuff. There's some times probably, though, we would hang our heads in shame if Jesus came. And man, we ought to live each day with that on our mind. He's coming back. If you'd open your Bibles to John chapter number 14, John chapter number 14. And as you find that, if you'd go ahead and stand for the reading of God's word, we'll read just a couple of verses here in John. Chapter number 14. Our theme this month is greater peace, greater peace. And I've enjoyed this theme. all year as a greater God and greater mission. And I'm not going to remember everything here, but all the things that we have. And now we're on the second half and we changed out all the signs around here and getting ready for the second half of the year. And this month here, greater peace, greater peace. And I want to talk to you about that greater peace. As a matter of fact, our verses are the ones that are on the sign there. So if you don't have Your Bible, you can read it right off of there, but look down in John chapter 14, verses 25 through 27. When we get to verse 27, if you'd read it aloud with me. The Bible says, These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for the peace that does come through you. And Lord, knowing that you are in control. And Lord, what a day to look at this as we hear about Wyatt and how good he is doing. And Lord, to know that All along, you were there, and you knew exactly what was going on. You knew exactly when to put it into their mind and their heart to go out and find them and where to look and, Lord, what to do until they could get them to the hospital. Lord, you've known everything all along. And, Lord, we thank you for that. We thank you for the peace that we can have knowing that you are in control. Lord, sometimes that peace is elusive. And, Lord, that peace comes through us doing things your way. And, Lord, I pray that you'd help me as I preach here, that you would help me to say exactly what you want me to say and nothing else. and that you'd work in each one of our hearts. I love you in Jesus name. Amen. Has my mic gone out a couple of times there? Has it been fine? Someone wave at me if it goes out. Someone told me in the earlier service that it went in and out a couple of times. And so if it starts going in and out, you wave at me and I'll just get an I'll grab another mic. I'm probably loud enough already. But the Bible says here, but the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. As Brother Seth was singing that song about the next time he comes. We're in between the two times, aren't we? Jesus Christ has already come. He's paid the price for our salvation. Thank God for that. And we are looking forward to when he comes again, that rapture, right? Right now we're in the in-between there, but While we are looking back at when Jesus did come and looking forward to when he will come again, he didn't leave us alone, did he? Man, he gave us that comforter. I love the name there. We know him as the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost, and different names that we may have there, but I love this one here, the comforter. Man, he gives us a comfort. Life is not always easy. Life can be incredibly difficult at times. Man, if we took the time to go around this room at different struggles that you've gone through, we'd spend all day here just hearing about difficult situations that we've gone through. But we haven't had to go through them alone. At least I should say this, if you were saved, you haven't had to go through them alone. Even when physically no one may be there for you, the comforter, the comforter is there. And obviously we know he leads us and he guides us and stuff like that, but the comfort that he brings. I love that next verse too, as Jesus told him, peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Not as a world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. We see that peace that Jesus said he would give, a God-given peace, that peace that can come over us and that can see us through those circumstances and through those difficult situations, a peace from God. We know this, that the Bible says that is a fruit of the Spirit, right? As there he tells us he will give us the comforter, then he says peace, we know that is a fruit of the Spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, Peace, peace, right? That is the peace there that God gives. And so as I read these verses and I see this, I see that not only did God give me peace, but he gave me that comforter to be with me all the time and help me have that peace. And yet sometimes that peace is elusive in our life. Have you ever had a time when you felt no peace? Anybody, raise your hand, raise your hand, look around. Man, it's a testament. We've all gone through times when it seems like there is no peace. At times when we might be looking and crawling out and saying, God, where are you? I thought you were gonna give me peace, I thought you were gonna give me a comforter and I feel like I'm walking through this trial all by myself. God, where is this peace? But I see here that God offers us that peace. Sometimes I think the reason we don't have that peace is because we've got our eyes on the wrong peace. You know, when I look at this verse here, verse 27, peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. I see a peace that comes from God, right? But there's a fraudulent peace, a worldly peace, because right after that, he says, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. So that's telling me there's a peace that comes from God, a godly peace, if you will, but there's also a worldly peace. Here's the thing, in our life, it is often easier to see this peace that the world can give than to see that peace that God gives. I think of this as a worldly peace or a physical peace that may come. I think of, man, that may come as a financial peace. Man, there's even Financial Peace University, OK? And I'm not picking on them, and they're helping you get your finances in order. But Financial Peace, man, it is nice to have Financial Peace, is it not? to know that everything's taken care of. All my bills are paid. I can pay my house. I can pay for my car. And all insurance, utilities are all paid. I can go out. I can go to the grocery store. I can get the things we need. I can even get some of the things we just want. Man, that's nice. A financial piece, that is great. Man, I love it when there is a financial piece and I know I've got everything there. But that is not necessarily a godly piece. I remember my dad telling me one time, we'd gone on staff there at the church, and I know I've given you this illustration before, but I'd gone on staff there at the church. was not making much money. And then I got married and I still wasn't making much money. Then we had a kid and I still wasn't making much money. And I remember talking with my dad just about some financial struggles and God always taking care of him. Thank the Lord for that. But just some financial things that kept going. And my dad told me, he said, he said, you know, God will always find a way to keep you on your knees. Thank God when it's just financial and it's not health. And I was learning something there in that. My dad wasn't necessarily maybe looking at it as this lesson. But man, financial peace does not equal the peace that comes from God. But I can get my mind and my eyes so focused on financial peace. Maybe it's a confirmation piece, a piece that comes from others. Man, making a decision and looking and trying to figure out what's right and what's wrong, and someone else says, oh, you're doing a good job. Oh, you should do that. And then getting a confirmation from my peers or maybe my counselors, someone who would say, hey, you're right. You're doing a good job. And a piece that comes from knowing that there are others who think the same way I think. And that can be a good peace. And I'm not shooting down counselors and stuff. I think you ought to have godly counselors and you ought to run to them and you ought to seek that. The Bible is full of illustrations of that and verses even commanding that. And so I am 100% for counselors. But know this, there can be a peace that comes from everybody else thinking I'm right as well that is not a peace that comes from God. Everybody's not always going to agree with those things of God. And I can get a false sense of peace Because others that I know think I'm doing what's right. And I think of a distraction piece, a distraction piece. My family is super, super excited to go on vacation a week from Tuesday. Almost every day, one of my kids says, what's the date today? Because everybody knows we leave on the 22nd. And thank you all so much. I cannot say that enough. We were blown away with that gift to go down to the beach. And we are super, super excited. And we appreciate that. And we are looking forward to that, a distraction piece. You ever come to a place where you just need to just get away and say, I'll worry about all of that when I come back. But for right now, it's just, it's gonna hit me when I get back, but I'm all right right now. And there are times we need that. We need that time of refreshing. Jesus told his disciples, come apart and rest, right? There are times we need that. But a distraction, getting away, and getting a sense of peace that way, that's not a godly peace there. That's a peace I can conjure up myself, right? I can just say, man, I'm out of here. I'm going. And then find a peace. How about a peace that we can understand it, an understanding peace? You ever get a peace because you know how everything is going to come together? Okay, I know if I do this, this, and this, this is the result. I can see that. I can understand that. That brings about a peace. There are times and different different things that I've had to accomplish that look and I say well I know if I do this This is the result and I can walk into that confidently saying okay I can do these things and I I can get it done and I can understand how things work I like that in my life as well. You know, it's something that goes back to financial some of it goes to just other things I like everything to to fit where I can understand it and I can see this is how it works and man I can have a piece and knowing that that's how it works and But there again, that that is not a godly piece. But now we have to we have to be careful, because a lot of times we look at all those pieces that we can get from that and look and think that is a godly piece and that is a result of God working. But God's peace is not dependent upon all those things lining up. God's peace is not a, godly peace is not dependent on a circumstance. It's a peace in the God of circumstance. As a matter of fact, when I read and I say, well, what does the Bible say, peace? The Bible says God's peace comes despite offenses. Psalms 119, 165, great peace of they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them. Offend them, well, if you're gonna be offended, there has to be something that is offensive. Am I right? How are you gonna have great peace? Nothing shall offend them, right? As a matter of fact, in Luke 17, one, Jesus said, then said he unto his disciples, it is impossible, but that all offenses will come. They are coming. But you can have a peace that despite offenses, you're still peaceful, you're still at rest. I think of this, a godly peace comes despite tribulation. John 16.33 says, These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Here Jesus says, In me you'll have peace. But just know that while you're in the world, there's going to be tribulation. And what is he saying there? How do those things go together? Peace and tribulation. Those those should not go hand in hand. And yet God is saying a godly peace goes hand in hand, regardless of whether you're going through tribulation. No matter what situation you're going through, a godly peace passes understanding. Philippians 4, 7, and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The peace of God, which passeth all understanding. Do you know what that means? It means when you're in the middle of that situation, there is no reason you should have peace. That's what that means, it passes all understanding. How in the world do you have peace? Have you ever seen someone going through an incredibly difficult situation and yet they just have a peace? You look and say, where does that come from? How do they deal with that? Man, so many times I get my eyes focused right here on where I'm at and what I'm going through and I'm like, oh my word, Lord, do you even know I exist? Do you know what's going on? Look at how bad it is. And usually when I'm focused on myself like that, and I'm doing all that, God shows me some saintly Christian who's going through something that is heaps, piles and piles more than me. And they're going through with a piece. I look and say, Lord, how are they going through it with a piece? I'm struggling right here with my small load. Man, last night, I got a call. Brendan called me. and said, hey, will you pray for my nephew, Wyatt? And man, he starts telling me that story, and my heart just drops. I'm like, oh God, you've got to come through in this situation. Man, I begin praying for them, and you hear about someone going through that, and what are my trials? Man, so many people, you hear of someone who's lost someone or gone through situations, that I look and I can't fathom. And yet, how do they go through with a piece that passes understanding? A godly piece is not reliant on what my finances are, what my peers may say, what I can understand. I mean, a godly piece is not dependent on that. But it is dependent on something. How do those people have that kind of godly peace? What does that look like in their life? And I want to take some time and I want to go through some things that the Bible talks about this godly peace and how we can have that. First thing I see in what is a godly peace, I see it as an acquaintance with God. An acquaintance with God. Job 20, 21, and 22. says, acquaint now thyself with him and be at peace. Thereby good shall come upon thee. Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth and lay up his words in thine heart. Acquaint now thyself with him. That word acquaint means to be familiar with, to know intimately. And I will tell you this, a godly peace comes first in a relationship with God. If I have not taken that first step to start a relationship with God, I cannot have a godly peace. I can have a worldly peace that will come and go. But if I have financial peace and that's where I get my peace. We know this finances are not always in abundance, are they? And that's going to come and go. If I have a piece that is dependent on my circumstances, all going well and everything going perfect. You know this and I know this. That is short lived in life. Man, if I've got a piece on everybody else agreeing with me and telling me I'm doing a good job, that's going to be fleeting. This piece that comes from God has to come from a relationship with Him. And that starts with salvation. Man, if I have not chosen to put my trust in Him and accept Him as my Savior, I cannot have a godly peace. I cannot have that. My peace will be fleeting. And that starts with me simply coming and accepting Him as my Savior. I love the verse that it says, after we've accepted Him as our Savior, right? It says, now are ye the sons of God. I love that verse. I am His child. I am his son. There's a peace in that. And I got to go up and see my parents for their 50th anniversary a couple weeks ago. And I got to go in there and all the kids came together. All nine of us were there for about 24 hours. Pastor and I got up there right about lunchtime on Friday. And then my brother Josh had to leave at one o'clock the next day. And so we're all there for 24 hours and we're having a good time. We're sitting around there. We're in their presence. We are playing games. We are playing volleyball. The guys won. I don't want to say too much. The guys won. The girls said we were cheating. I don't know what they were talking about, but all I know is the guys won. Man, we were having a good time. We were enjoying everything. We were sitting there in the presence of my parents, and we were having a great time there. playing different games, flip seven, and just all kinds of crazy stuff, reminiscing, talking about stories from the past. Have I got some stories to tell you about Pastor? I want you all to know. Pastor keeps telling stories up here about me. Don't believe a word he says. He's not reading it from the scripture. Do not trust anything that guy is saying. I'll tell you the true stories. And but man, we were sitting around, we were having a good time and talking and we were in their presence. Right. And we're having a great time. Can I tell you this? A godly peace comes from knowing the savior. I could get around with family and I could enjoy that time because I know that I have a relationship with them. And a godly peace comes first with salvation. And I'll tell you this, if if you don't have that settled, Get that settled today. Don't leave here not knowing for sure that God is your Savior. Don't leave here without that relationship. A godly peace comes with an acquaintance with God. It says, acquaint now thyself with him and be at peace. Be at peace, that peace comes in a relationship with God. Secondly, that peace comes in God's presence. A godly peace is in God's presence. Psalms 4.8 says, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. Man, when I'm dwelling with the Lord, I am safe, I am in peace. I love this part of that verse that says, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep. Man, you ever had those nights where, like, you are not at peace, you can't get any sleep, and man, the thoughts are going through your mind constantly, and going around there, and it's, man, I'm worried about this, and I'm this, and I'm trying to figure this out, and I'm trying to figure this out. Man, it is when I'm in his presence that I can lay me down in peace and sleep. I'm not saying every time you have a hard time sleeping well, you're just out of God's presence. But man, we ought to check that. Am I in his presence? I love the verses in Isaiah. chapter 43 verses 1 through 3, says, Fear not, for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior. I love that as he says there, when thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee. I heard a preacher preach this a long time ago and I wrote this down in the margins of my Bible. He said, he said so many times when we're going through life and we're going through hard times, we're going through tribulations and we're going through the waters, we're going through the rivers, we're going through the flames, we're doing all that. He says, and what do we want to do? Man, we're trying to get across that river, we're going through the tribulations, we're overcome with water, and what do we want to do? We want to get a ferry boat, right? We want to bypass the tribulations, get on that ferry, get across and move on. And is that not what we do, what we desire to do most times? We're stuck in a situation and in something, and we're looking and saying, God, in this situation, get me out of this, Lord, I want relief, I need to get out of this, and we look to get out. And the preacher said this, he said, as you read that verse, When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee. And he said, don't take the ferry boat and miss out on God's presence. Don't take the ferry boat and miss out on God's presence. The Bible says, when thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee. Peace in the tribulation. Peace in the trial. comes from being in His presence. Man, not just knowing Him, now He's my Savior, but being in His presence. I had a great time, I already mentioned, when I went up to see my parents for their 50th anniversary, and all the family was around there, and we're sitting there, and we're cracking up, and we're talking, and we're talking about some dumb things that we did, I was following my brothers and um yeah you know some just funny things we did man we were talking about the time we we went out we bought the dirt bike and pastor came home and my mom's so worried about this dirt bike and what's gonna happen and we're like no no it's all safe so we all come out they all come out on the on the driveway and we get there and it This was our garage here, the corner of our garage there. You know, we're all the way back here. We're way back. We're safe. Pastor's there, and he's showing them, no, look, everything's fine and all. And he gets on there, and he fires that up, not knowing that's in first gear. And he fires it up, pops a wheelie, takes off, comes and hits the corner of the garage with a handlebar, just kaboosh. And I was like, you know what, I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to do it. crazy things that we did reminiscing about all this my mom getting after a pastor again for all the things he did to the cats throwing them in the pond you know they needed a bath and things like that I was very thankful that in my mom's eyes everything was pastor I will tell you this that that if my mom thinks that that's the truth so y'all remember that next time pastor saying something he was the problem and um but I meant talking about all these things and just enjoying it and I mean having a good time sitting around there and talking and being in each other's presence I'm not there now though, right? pastors down in Florida just on vacation. He'll be back up here. My other brother is in the Dallas area preaching. One of my brother-in-laws and sister are there in the Houston area. He's a youth pastor there. My other brother-in-law went up to Maryland. My brother Josh is up in Atlanta. My other brother-in-law is up in northern Illinois. And then my other brother-in-law is there at my dad's and my one sister is not married. She's there too. But we're all spread out all over the place again, right? I'm not in their presence. Now I can go back and I can think about things and I can think of the stories and I can think about the good times we had and all that, but I'm not in their presence anymore. But there's one who offers his presence to us 24-7. Now I chose to go up and be with my parents for their 50th anniversary. I made that decision and I put myself in the place to be in their presence. You make the choice if you're in the presence of God. I'll be honest with you. How can I expect God to work? How can I expect to have a peace from God if I'm not even in his word allowing him to speak to me? And part of the good times we had up there in Indiana was all of us just talking and conversing back and forth. That's how I get in God's presence. Man, I wasn't just sitting there listening to them the whole time. I was putting in my two cents, right? I was communicating with them, and God expects us to communicate with him through prayer. Come into his presence. I think of this when I think of these people who did this, who got in God's presence and had a peace. I think of Stephen in the Bible. You know, the Bible says they were gnashing on him with their teeth. They were biting his body. that is first off that that would hurt but second that is nasty you know not a time I'm gonna have peace then they drag him out and they begin to stone him killing him brutally and yeah he's looking up to heaven and seeing the heavens open and saying Lord don't lay this on their torch a piece and I think of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego Right, Nebuchadnezzar comes and sets up this mighty image and says, now you bow down or you're going to burn. And they bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before him. And he's like, hey, it's told me that you ain't burning or that you aren't bound. I'm going to burn you. I'm going to throw you in that fiery furnace. And what's their reply? We are not careful to answer thee, O king. They weren't being disrespectful. O king, you know, they're talking. But what are they saying? I'm not afraid to answer you. I have a peace here. Man, I already made a commitment to my God, and I know my God can save me. And I love this, they say, our God is able, but then they said, but if not. Not if he's not able, if he decides not to save us. I'm at peace jumping in those flames and dying there, because I know my God and my relationship with my God. Choosing to be in the presence of God. Talk about the opportunity to come in his presence, right? As they're thrown into the flames, the king looks in and says, whoa! There's a fourth man like as of the Son of God. Man walking in his presence. I think of Joseph in incredible situations, staying faithful to God. I think of David. Read the Psalms. See someone who went through anxiety and depression. Man, so many times he's looking, he's like, God, can you hear me? God, do you see the heathen raging? God, do you see what's going on? My life is on the line and he comes. But over and over again, as you do that, you'll see by the end of that song, he's coming back to, but you are God. Man, I love the one passage, I should have looked it up, where he's there and he's talking about the heathen raging and how he's looking at the heathen and they're prospering and everything's going good for them and they're doing all this. He said, I was disappointed, I was discouraged, I was like, why should I even go on? Until I went into the house of the Lord. Then he sees his God. He comes into the presence of God. And that whole situation changes. And he says, Now I understand there. And now I know there is a God. And then he sees what's the difference there? That peace that comes in his presence. Man, am I in his presence seeking his face? I love Psalm 1611. That will show me the path of life in thy presence is fullness of joy. And at thy right hand, there are pleasures forevermore. and there's a peace in God's presence. Next, I see a godly peace is a fruit of the Spirit. fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5.22 says, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law. Man, how do I get that peace? It's a fruit of the Spirit. I get that by walking in the Spirit. The Bible says in Galatians 5.25, if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. It is by me choosing to walk in with the Spirit, to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians chapter five, verses, I believe it's 21, 18 through 21, kind of gives a recipe for being filled with the Spirit. And I'm not gonna take the time to go there and go over that, but so much of that is filling ourselves with the right kind of music and lifting up the name of God, being thankful in all situations and stuff like that, but being filled with the Holy Spirit, walking in the Spirit. Now this goes a little beyond, this goes a little beyond, we talked about having a relationship with God, getting saved, and having Jesus Christ in my heart gives me that peace. My spending time with him, my building that relationship, going with him builds that relationship. But now walking in the spirit, me choosing daily to follow in the spirit, in the things that God would have. Not just do I meet with him and get acquainted with him, but now I'm choosing day by day to walk with him and walking with him. When I'm walking with him and I'm seeking his counsel, his advice, his direction in every step that I take, Man, me choosing to live a life that is Spirit-filled. And this is in action, if you will, when I'm walking with Him. And here's the thing, this one can sometimes be a little harder to understand because it is easy for me to look at what is right, what I'm supposed to do, and to just go whole hog in that and think that I'm just walking with the Spirit. I'll give you, for instance, for me this last year, this last year with our youth group and our theme, I was praying and asking God, God give me what you want me to preach on with the youth services, give me this. And God gave me a theme and God laid it out and I'm praying over the summers and asking God to do that and so I'm looking and I start laying out some things that God gave me with that theme, okay? Like our theme for the church here, Is greater God and then this last half greater peace love hope prize word joy And so I begin to lay that out for my youth services, right? What is my theme? What does God have for me? And I'm praying about it and I'm asking God to show me this and I'm laying out these messages I want God would have me to preach and so I've prayed about it and I've looked at that then as the year begins to go I Jumped in on that theme and I started preaching on the theme and I'm going in the first week two weeks three weeks You know, I'm going I'm following along and I've kind of got this thing that God laid out. So I'm just going you will check in the box going along as I'm doing it and I got in about I don't know right about two months and I came and I was working on the message and I sat down and I began to look and focus in on it man I had verses coming and I'm writing down verses and I'm arranging them how I'm gonna preach and I'm doing all this and I'm setting it all together and um man I get that message kind of like a rough draft kind of out there I got this rough draft of the message and looking at it and I've been praying God show me how you want me to preach this what do you want me to say I'm doing all this and I had that and that was one day. I was coming back the next day to kind of really put it together and get it how I needed it to preach. And so I'm there and I'm praying, God I need you to show me what you want me to preach and Lord I'm here to do your will and stuff and I'm praying all this. And I get out my message and I start going and I start putting it in order and I felt like God said, well, why are you preaching this message? I was like, Because this is the message you told me. Remember? We established the theme. We laid out some things here. We looked at this. And he's like, why are you preaching this message? And I was like, because this is what you gave me. And God said, I didn't tell you I wanted you to preach that today. And I was like, well, Lord, I've got the theme. I've got this. I pray and I ask you to give me an overview. Give me all that. And I laid it out. And he's like, and here's what I felt he was saying to me, Adam, I'm not opposed to you preaching that message. It's time for you to preach that message. But I don't want you to just talk to me, find out what you're supposed to do, and then go live on that the rest of your life. It says you come to me daily. What do I want you to do today? Our theme this last year was his calls, right? His calls over my calls. And man, I started looking at that and saying, oh, it's not just his calls in my life or his calls in me living for him and choosing to live for him or his calls in me finding what the ministry he wants me involved or how he wants me to do it and me going and doing that. No, it's his calls for what he wants from me this minute. There was nothing wrong with that message, but it wasn't the message he wanted me to preach that night. And I told him, Lord, you gave me this back then. He said, yeah, I gave that to you. But I want you to seek my face every day and find out what I have for you today. And if we're not careful. We go about doing what is good. But not always following spirit. I mean, I've had jobs before where they were pretty straightforward and simple. Like I had to get this accomplished, and this accomplished, and this accomplished. And I like just putting my head down and pushing through till I get it done. And God says, Adam, I don't always want your head down pushing through until you get the job done. You ought to be the hardest worker. By the way, I'm not saying we ought not do our job. I'm not saying we ought not be the hardest worker. You ought to have a godly testimony at your work. And you ought to have a testimony that exemplifies good godly character and hard work. But he's saying, I don't want you to just have your head down doing that which is good. Follow me. And the reason that can be difficult sometimes is because we think we're doing what is good and our heart is in doing what is good. But we get focused on just what doing what is good and not following the Holy Spirit. And a peace comes through following that Holy Spirit, being choosing to be filled with the Holy Spirit. A godly peace comes in the way of peace. You know, there is a way of peace. I read these verses. This is Zechariah when John the Baptist is born. And he's telling people what he's going to do. He's prophesying. And it says in Luke 1, 76 through 79, And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the highest. For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins. Through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness, in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. To guide our feet into the way of peace. There is a way of peace. There is a way that if I get on that path, that is the way of peace. So what is that way? What is that way of peace? I think some of it is shown right here in what he said. He said here, He was telling John the Baptist, he said, here's why you've come, to prepare the way of the Lord, right? To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of sin. To tell others about salvation. To go out and tell others. Listen to this, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. Who is in darkness? I think of where the Bible says that Satan The ruler of this world hath blinded their eyes. Right? Sit in darkness. Who's in the shadow of death? As a Christian, I don't need to fear death. Man, who's in the shadow of death? Those who are not saved. What is our job? What is the way of peace? Going out and proclaiming salvation to others. Going out and telling others the way of salvation. Man, God gives up peace to those who are actively soul winning or witnessing for him. Here's the thing, when I do this, I'm doing what is closest to God's heart. When I was in college, I had a personal evangelism course, and I had to read a book by John R. Rice on personal evangelism. And in this book, John R. Rice says that when He said whenever he has someone get saved, no matter what condition they are in, he tries to get them to go and sow in with him. So he said, if I can get a guy to go and sow in with me, and he is smoking cigarettes, and he smells of cigarettes, but he'll go sow in with me, I'm gonna take him sow in with me and go up and knock on the door and try and tell someone about Jesus. He said, if I got some guy who comes in and just looks like the world, and man, he's rough and just looks like the world, he said, before I tell him he's got to get cleaned up, he said, I'm going to try and get him going sowning with me and have him go out and tell people about Jesus. And he said, I do that because when you do what is closest to the heart of God, God will work in your life. And I saw that and I read that and he goes on to explain some stuff there with doing that. But he said anytime he's making a decision or something like that, he goes soul winning. And I've tried to put this in my life and hold to this because he said, when you do what is closest to the heart of God, God will work in your life. So I looked at that and now before I before I make like a life-changing decision. I'm doing that I always check my soul winning out I was checking say man Am I am I active going out and giving the gospel and new wife because that is what's closest to God's heart, right? How do we know what God rejoices in? Well, there's joy in the presence of the angels over one center that comes from right and That is what is closest to God's heart for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. So what is God's love? Why did God do that? So people could get saved that is what is closest to God's heart. That's why he gave his son That is what's closest to God's heart. So when I'm trying to make a decision when I need peace, I Have an opportunity to put myself in the way of peace When I'm trying to make a decision, and too often I look at, we look at peace for a decision, right? And I know I've mentioned this before, I don't like hearing people, I say, they make a decision and I say, oh, how did you make that decision or why are you making that decision? They say, well, I just have a peace about it. Um, well, make sure it's a godly piece. I think you ought to do something when God gives you a piece. Make sure it's a godly piece. Too often we do that and we say, well, I understand how this is going to end up. So I have a piece about it. I have a piece about going and getting a job that pays me $30,000 more a year. Do I have a piece about that? Absolutely. 100% an extra $30,000 a year. That'd be nice. Does that mean it's God's will? No, no. Well, I have a piece that this is the right person to date. Oh, there's a whole bunch of fleshly things that can get you give you a piece dealing with someone that is you ought not be dating. And so often people say, well, I have a piece about it. Is that a godly piece? I have a chance to put myself in the way of peace. You know, I I'm a little afraid to make a decision and look at peace if I'm not in the way of peace, given the gospel to someone else. Man, there's a way of peace to put myself in. Man, when I have no peace, when I'm looking, God, I need peace, I need peace. Oh, when's the last time I tried to tell someone else that there's a God who died on the cross for them? And there's a way of peace. There's a way of peace in obeying His commands and following Him. In Isaiah 48, 17, and 18, it says, Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. Oh, that thou hast hearkened to my commandments, right? Oh, that thou hast hearkened to my commandments. Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea. Man, that way of peace, right? That way of peace, following his commandments. Psalms 119, 165. Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them. It's following his commandments, following his laws. And then finally, and I know the time, I'll hurry here. A godly peace is a thought process. a thought process. Romans 8, 5 through 7 says, for they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the spirit, the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Those verses there said, they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. For to be carnally minded, there's a way of thinking that is after the flesh that is carnal. But there's a way to be spiritually minded, right? To be spiritually minded is life and peace. A godly peace comes through that spiritual mind. Now, what is that? In Ephesians 4.8, it says, Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good rapport, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things. He commands us what our mind ought to be on. Now, there's a reason he commands us those things. Because fleshly-minded and carnally-minded does not naturally go to those things. I have to be commanded to think on whatsoever things are true, because naturally I do not run to those things. Whatsoever things are honest. The flesh does not want that. The flesh wants the gossip, right? Don't raise your hand, but how many of us in here like to hear a little gossip? Well, everybody likes to know what's going on. Everybody likes to know what's going on. Everybody wants to be the one in the know, right? Man, why is that? Because we're all in the flesh. But that's fleshly minded. And to be spiritually minded is whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest. I mean, in the flesh. We don't naturally think right. Now whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are pure, that's spiritually minded. You don't even have to go seeking the unpure. Things will come to your mind. Why? We're in the flesh. We're in the flesh. Whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise. What am I saying? It is a thought process for me to keep my mind on the things of God. Because naturally, I don't. I know none of you have ever struggled with this, but there have been times someone has said something or done something to me that I felt they wronged me. And I've spent at least a whole day thinking of all the things I could have done or should have said, put them right in the spot. Now, like I said, I know none of you have ever dealt with that, because you're not carnally minded, right? But I've struggled with that. I mean, that is not whatsoever things are pure. Whatsoever things are just. I mean, naturally, we do not think spiritually. But if I want a peace that comes from God, I have to have a thought that is spiritually minded. Because to be spiritually minded is life and death. A mind focused on God and on his way. I love Isaiah 26 three. That will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. That will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee. But man, you wanna talk about a difficult battle. It's controlling the mind. Keeping our mind focused on him. And here's the thing, all these other things come from that mind, don't they? As a man thinketh in his heart, So is he. And from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. All these other things that I'm supposed to keep in line to be in place of peace, I'm losing the battle right here. And here's what I see when I look at this. Jesus is there saying, Peace, I leave with my peace. I give on to you. He wants us to live a life of peace. But it's not as a world given. And I ask you, Christian, and I'll look in the mirror and look at myself, and how many times am I truly seeking godly peace and putting myself in the way of peace? Doing the hard things, if you will, to get myself in that way of peace, so I can put myself to the place where he promises me peace. And how many times am I looking for peace that is fleeting? that is not gonna last. And then I live a life and I say, I have no peace, and I go to the Bible and I say, well, that promise of God ain't true. He didn't give me peace in that. Am I putting myself in the way of peace? Let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for how good you are to us. And Lord, that you do not leave us here alone to just make it. Lord, you left us a comforter. You offer us your peace. Lord, I pray that you would help us to see what godly peace is and what worldly or fleshly peace is, and Lord, that we would put ourselves in the way of peace. Our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed. You say, I talked a little bit of salvation, but not a lot, but you say, Pastor Adam, I know for sure I'm on my way to heaven. I know if I was to die today, I'd go straight to heaven. Would you raise your hand? I'm sure I have that settled. you can put your hands down maybe you're here today and you say I'm not a hundred percent sure I'm not gonna call I'm not gonna embarrass you but if you say we could pray with you as you're not a hundred percent sure you're on your way to heaven would you raise your hand and say I'm not a hundred percent sure I'm on my way to heaven you're in here today and you say in some way today God spoke to my heart and some aspect of the message might not have been anything I said but God worked in your heart you say in some way God spoke to my heart would you raise your hand I think you can put your hands down. If you would stand to your feet.