The God Who Puts Us Back Together: An Analysis of Hebrews 13:20-21

[00:02:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Thank you for watching!

[00:03:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
There we go.
[00:03:07] Thank you, Joanne.
[00:03:09] Good morning, everyone.
[00:03:10] Welcome to First Presbyterian Church.
[00:03:12] At this time, I would invite you to quiet our hearts and still our minds as the men of our choir lead us in our prelude.

[00:03:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
We shall walk through the valley of the shadow of death We shall walk through the valley in peace And if Jesus himself shall be our leader
[00:03:59] We shall walk through the valley in peace.
[00:04:09] There will be no sorrowing there.
[00:04:18] There will be no sorrowing there.
[00:04:28] And if Jesus himself shall be our leader, we shall walk through the valley in peace.
[00:04:58] And if Jesus himself shall be our leader We shall walk through the valley

[00:05:29] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
And now would you please join me in our call to worship from Psalm 23.
[00:05:47] The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
[00:05:54] He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
[00:05:57] He leadeth me beside the still waters.
[00:06:00] He restoreth my soul.
[00:06:02] He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
[00:06:08] Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
[00:06:12] I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.
[00:06:16] Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
[00:06:19] Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.
[00:06:24] Thou anointest my head with oil, and my cup runneth over.
[00:06:29] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
[00:06:38] Amen.
[00:06:39] And please join me now in our prayer of invocation.
[00:06:43] Lord Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd, in the waters of baptism you give us birth, and at your table you nourish us with heavenly food.
[00:06:54] In your goodness and mercy lead us along safe paths, beyond the terrors of evil and death, to the house of the Lord, where we may rest securely in you forever.
[00:07:08] Amen.
[00:07:10] Please stand as we sing our first hymn.

[00:07:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Church of God, event and glorious, Holy nation, chosen race, Call as God's own special name.
[00:07:55] The grace of your calling shows through all these mighty things.
[00:08:19] Tell of knowledge, close the windows, Grace that meets all human needs.
[00:08:20] God has called you out of darkness into his light.
[00:08:50] In Christ Jesus crucified.
[00:09:11] Whilst you were an alien people, strangers to God's heart of love, But he brought you home in mercy, citizens of God.
[00:09:30] Church of God, elect and holy, we the people he intends.
[00:09:57] Strong in faith and swift to answer, each command your master says.
[00:10:00] All your priests come, fill your calling Through your sad, brave eyes and prayer Give your lives in joyful service Sing His praise, His love, declare Amen

[00:10:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Now let us affirm our faith together using the Apostles' Creed.
[00:10:31] And I would ask you, O Christian, what is it that you believe?
[00:10:36] I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried.
[00:10:54] He descended into hell.
[00:10:56] The third day he rose again from the dead.
[00:10:59] He ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
[00:11:05] From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
[00:11:08] I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
[00:11:20] Amen.
[00:11:21] You may be seated.
[00:11:25] Just a few announcements for us this morning before we continue with our worship today.
[00:11:30] These are in your bulletin, but I will just highlight a few.
[00:11:34] First, I want to say thank you to all those who participated in the giving of food for Feed and See.
[00:11:41] I know and believe that that would truly bless so many people, and so just want to thank you for all who gave into the black boxes.
[00:11:47] They will be collected, and may God multiply.
[00:11:51] In the spirit of giving, we have one more week for Operation Christmas Child with regards to those shoeboxes that you have seen, those green and red ones around the church.
[00:12:01] If you have not grabbed one, I highly encourage you to grab one.
[00:12:04] I believe they should be in the back or in the parlor.
[00:12:07] And then return it for next Sunday, November 23rd.
[00:12:11] And I know that will highly encourage all the little ones and young people in our Christmas season.
[00:12:16] For if this pertains to you, Saints Alive will be this Tuesday, November 18th.
[00:12:22] Hope Mobility will come to share of their mission and all that they do to equip handicapped children and special needs in other countries and in our countries as well.
[00:12:32] So please, if you are participating in Saints Alive, RSVP to Melissa Folk so that we know how much food to prepare and hope to see you there on Tuesday.
[00:12:41] Advent Sunday, a long-standing tradition here at FPC, which if you have not participated over in the Fellowship Hall, there will be the decorations of wreaths and other Christmas activities and things to take home with light refreshments.
[00:12:55] So I highly encourage you, that will be Advent Sunday, November 30th, and that will take place between 9.30 a.m. and 11.30 a.m.
[00:13:02] and if you would like to help prepare the crafts prior to Advent Sunday and when I say if you would like it means please help us and please reach out to Melissa Folk just to get some of the crafts ready so that way there's less anxiety for the volunteers come Advent Sunday and if you'd also like to man a station again if you would like to meaning show up and
[00:13:27] Reach out to Melissa Folk.
[00:13:28] We would appreciate any help we can get so that Advent Sunday is just a wonderful, fun time for one and all.
[00:13:35] And Melissa, just reach your hand for those who may not know who you are.
[00:13:38] That right here, this hand, belongs to Melissa Folk.
[00:13:40] So talk to her after the service.
[00:13:43] With regarding Wednesday nights, this upcoming Wednesday is our last Wednesday night that will have Bible studies in small groups.
[00:13:50] We'll have dinner, we'll have our classes, and then we will take a break for Thanksgiving week, and we will come the week after Thanksgiving, first week of December.
[00:13:58] So we'll have dinner, it'll be our last worship night for the season, and then we will come here into the sanctuary to have a small time of worship, hymns, maybe some carols.
[00:14:07] So again, we'll meet this week, take off for Thanksgiving, and we'll come back the week after that, and I will be sure to remind us all, don't you worry about it.
[00:14:16] Last but not least, we announced on the 150th last week, a wonderful time, by the way, for all of us there, we announced the Legacy Campaign, and the Vision Team brought forth a vision that was approved by the session of all the things that this church needs repaired, but also what can we do to renovate and prep this place
[00:14:34] For continued ministry for the next however long the Lord has given us to serve.
[00:14:40] And so if you had any questions, any thoughts, any wanted to hear more information that we just did not cover at our presentation last Sunday, following the service today at 1230 over in the Fellowship Hall, the Vision Team will be there and will be happy to answer any questions and provide any further information that you might be interested in regarding the Legacy Campaign and all that was presented last Sunday.

[00:15:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Draw near, all ye people, come to me.

[00:15:33] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Let us pray.

[00:15:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, this day let it be known that Thou art God, and I am Thy servant.
[00:16:24] Lord God of Abraham,
[00:16:29] O show to all this people that I have done these things according to thy word.
[00:16:53] O hear me, Lord, and answer me.
[00:16:58] O hear me, Lord, and answer me Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel O hear me, O hear me
[00:17:32] And show this people that thou art Lord God, and let their hearts again be
[00:17:58] People that thou art Lord God and let their hearts again be turned.

[00:18:27] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Lord

[00:18:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
and let their hearts and let their hearts again be turned

[00:19:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Please join me now for a moment of prayer.
[00:19:12] The Psalmist says in Psalm 25, To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
[00:19:17] O my God, in you I trust.
[00:19:22] Do not let me be put to shame, and do not let my enemies exult over me.
[00:19:27] Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame and let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
[00:19:34] Make me to know your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths.
[00:19:38] Lead me in your truth and teach me.
[00:19:41] For you are the God of my salvation.
[00:19:44] For you I wait all day long.
[00:19:49] Lord, today hear our prayer as we lift up our souls to you, the God in whom we trust,
[00:19:57] Let us not be put to shame, and make known your ways to us and teach us your paths.
[00:20:04] For you are the God of our salvation, whom we wait on and whom we hope in.
[00:20:12] Brothers and sisters, as we approach our Heavenly Father, let us now take this moment to silently confess our sins before God.
[00:20:37] Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
[00:20:44] Forgive us, Lord, when we have chosen our own way instead of submitting to yours.
[00:20:54] Forgive us, Father, when we chose to have a cold heart towards our neighbor instead of loving them as you have loved us.
[00:21:02] And forgive us,
[00:21:04] When we have been slow to hear, to listen, and to wait on you, whether from carelessness, sluggishness, or arrogance, have mercy on us.
[00:21:21] For your name's sake, O God, forgive us our guilt, for it is great.
[00:21:27] And only you, Father, have the power to forgive us and to cleanse us.
[00:21:32] Turn to us, be gracious to us, receive the sorrows of our heart, and forgive me of all my sins.
[00:21:47] Today we receive the good news that come from the Holy Scriptures, Your Word, that all who place their faith in Jesus Christ have hope, redemption, and restoration.
[00:22:02] You are the author and perfecter of our faith, and when we are faithless, thank God You are faithful.
[00:22:11] In Jesus Christ, to all who have placed their faith in Him, You are forgiven.
[00:22:18] Hallelujah.
[00:22:22] Heavenly Father, in the name of Your Son, I lift up this congregation in church in this time of worship to You.
[00:22:28] Lord, would you please receive our humble worship and adoration, for only you alone are worthy of it.
[00:22:36] I ask that you would come, sit next to us, fill this space and especially fill our hearts to overflow.
[00:22:44] All that we lack, Lord, please provide.
[00:22:49] Today, for those who have experienced loss and are in grief and mourning, Lord, would you be there to comfort them.
[00:22:57] For all those this day that are struggling with sickness and couldn't join us in church and maybe are watching online, may there be healing and be with them to strengthen their bodies.
[00:23:10] Heavenly Father, for all those today that struggle in their hearts with doubt, with fear, with confusion, or heavy burden and laden with grief over the darkness of this life, remind us, Jesus, of your words from Matthew.
[00:23:31] that you are gentle and lowly in heart and in you we can find rest for our souls for your yoke is easy and your burden is light release us Lord from the burdens of this life save us from the troubles that we face as the church save us from the temptation of sin save us from the hardness of hearts and the twisting of our culture save us Lord from broken relationships
[00:24:04] Help us, Heavenly Father, to see your work in us and in the world around us.
[00:24:11] Help us to fix our eyes on Jesus and remember that one day you are coming back, Lord, to restore all things.
[00:24:16] Help us to live as people of hope and never let us lose hope.
[00:24:23] And I thank you, Lord, that we get to be the church, not only as a light to our community but also as a light to one another, for it is in fellowship
[00:24:33] Being the body that we get to experience Christ all the more fully.
[00:24:38] Help us, Lord, to be the body you have called us to be.
[00:24:42] And I ask that you would bless this church, all its ministry and all its endeavors for the glory of your kingdom.
[00:24:49] And we pray all this in the most holy name of Jesus.
[00:24:52] And let us now pray that prayer he taught us to pray.
[00:24:55] Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever
[00:25:21] Amen.
[00:25:23] And let us now stand and sing our hymn of response.

[00:25:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
[00:25:47] As it was in the beginning, is now and ever.

[00:26:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
The first thing I want to bring before you is Nathan Glad texted me last night and we ended up talking.

[00:26:44] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
His father passed away just a couple days ago.
[00:26:45] His father has had some health issues and some dementia and so the family is very much at peace and grateful that he's now in God's presence.
[00:26:48] But please pray for him.
[00:26:48] His father lives in Caleb.

[00:27:29] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
We kind of divide it up during the day some did Space Mountain some did more of the kid rides and at the end of the day we did the parade and then what takes place after the parade though some of you Disney people fireworks so we get done with the fireworks and I'm looking around and
[00:27:58] I don't see my parents.
[00:27:59] I don't see my siblings.
[00:28:00] I don't see my cousins.
[00:28:02] I was a compliant young boy, so I was always taught, don't talk to strangers.
[00:28:07] So I didn't dare go up to anyone and say, I'm lost.
[00:28:11] I guess I could have cried out like, Mom, Dad, but I was a little self-conscious.
[00:28:16] So I can still very vividly remember thinking to myself, this is it.
[00:28:24] I'm going to be an orphan.
[00:28:27] And thinking, where do I sleep?
[00:28:29] How am I going to get my food?
[00:28:30] There's no way I was going to navigate my way out the gates to the monorail, back to the hotel.
[00:28:37] I was helpless.
[00:28:40] Now, some people ask me after this sermon, so I'll let you know.
[00:28:44] My parents eventually got to the hotel, realized I wasn't there.
[00:28:47] They did a little search team.
[00:28:49] I hadn't strayed too far, so I was discovered.
[00:28:52] I was found.
[00:28:55] Spiritual lostness is a real concept.
[00:29:02] Folks who've been either lost their way and now feel alone and abandoned.
[00:29:08] Now, God never abandons, but there's that feeling.
[00:29:11] Some in this room may have experienced that before.
[00:29:14] Or some who desperately seek that spiritual peace.
[00:29:19] They've never really had it, but they want it.
[00:29:22] You're uncertain where to look.
[00:29:24] Maybe a little ashamed or afraid to mention doubts or even cry out to God?
[00:29:33] It's real.
[00:29:35] Being lost doesn't feel good.
[00:29:36] Being spiritually lost is not a great place to be.
[00:29:40] Second question I want to raise is this.
[00:29:43] Have you ever been through a devastating storm?
[00:29:48] A really life-altering storm.
[00:29:51] I think of Western Carolina, the floods, over a year ago, what that did to people to turn their lives upside down.
[00:29:59] Some lost their homes.
[00:30:01] They're literally, folks, we've seen the devastating images where family members literally floating away due to the floods.
[00:30:13] Spiritual storms, so to speak, we're all prone to them, and they hit us in different ways.
[00:30:21] I had a good friend out in California, she was actually close friends with Lisa, her name was Lisa, close friends with Stephanie Sentis.
[00:30:29] And they were volunteers, one was an intern, Lisa was part of our youth program, and on Tuesdays we'd meet, we'd pray, we'd have devotions, we'd map out the week, ministering to our young people, do a little bit of training.
[00:30:43] One week the topic was pain and suffering and how that can affect us spiritually.
[00:30:50] Now Lisa was tough.
[00:30:52] She kind of had an edge to her that was a little bit, I wouldn't say edge, she was just kind of chill, steady, not too up, not too down.
[00:31:00] And she mentioned in the midst of the discussion, she was like, you know, hardships don't really affect me.
[00:31:06] You know, especially my faith.
[00:31:09] Now I look back, and it's almost haunting to think about this, within two weeks of that statement, her grandmother passed away unexpectedly.
[00:31:18] I believe she was like in her 70s.
[00:31:21] And then within two weeks of that, and the church came around her and comforted her and she was doing well.
[00:31:28] Within two weeks of that, she was in a snowboarding accident and broke her back.
[00:31:35] And it was a severe injury.
[00:31:36] She wasn't paralyzed, but there were some concerns at first.
[00:31:39] People visited her at the hospital.
[00:31:41] Again, she was tough and she was making it through that.
[00:31:46] And then within two weeks of that, she had a younger brother
[00:31:50] He was at the football stadium, he was in high school at the time, and he's doing stadiums, running stadiums, and he collapsed, and he died.
[00:32:00] And at that point, Lisa's whole world collapsed, and she wasn't doing very good, even spiritually.
[00:32:11] This morning, our passage addresses the lost,
[00:32:17] Those who may be going through a dry spell or may have some guilt through having gone through a dry spell, it also addresses the shaken.
[00:32:27] Those in this room that have faced storms in life, and some are life-altering storms.
[00:32:36] The author of Hebrews, inspired by the Holy Spirit, concludes this letter to a group of believers who had experienced cultural opposition,
[00:32:47] Persecution.
[00:32:49] Historically speaking, it was right before the time of a lot of the persecution we read about in the Roman government with Nero.
[00:32:57] Some had second-guessed their faith.
[00:33:00] The same people who had come to faith through the gospel, the saving message of Jesus Christ, and they had found peace and they had found purpose and they were feeling fulfilled and they were clinging to the promises of Christ, but life was hitting them hard.
[00:33:16] Some were second-guessing.
[00:33:17] Some were even thinking maybe life was better the old way.
[00:33:26] In the synagogue with the sacrificial, sacramental system and the cleanliness laws.
[00:33:34] They were very spiritually vulnerable.
[00:33:38] And this letter has some pretty heavy challenges.
[00:33:42] We've been hitting this for the last six, eight weeks.
[00:33:45] The concepts, these themes, you know, find your hope in Jesus.
[00:33:49] He's the anchor for your soul.
[00:33:51] We find our hope in Him alone.
[00:33:53] Or the theme of perseverance.
[00:33:58] The life that we live is not a sprint.
[00:34:01] It's a marathon.
[00:34:03] So when you face the storms, like, dig in, lean into your faith.
[00:34:09] Themes of don't get weighed down by good things.
[00:34:13] They're things that are good in themselves.
[00:34:15] Yet, we have a tendency, sometimes in our humanness, to idolize those things.
[00:34:23] Travel lightly.
[00:34:26] Also, the warning, don't get entangled by the sins and the things that can get us off the path and distract us.
[00:34:34] We were encouraged last week, that whole theme of the race, you know,
[00:34:38] We have this great cloud of witnesses surrounding us.
[00:34:42] Those men and women who've come before us, who've finished the race, they're now cheering you and me on.
[00:34:49] We're not to fix our eyes on them, but to fix our eyes on Jesus.
[00:34:53] Right?
[00:34:56] The author and perfecter of our faith.
[00:35:00] Now, with these challenges, the author knows the audience being spiritually vulnerable may feel some guilt.
[00:35:08] and some shame and here we find like an exclamation point a benediction it's a beautiful benediction it's a comforting benediction it's inspiring in a moment i'll read it and the idea i want to get across if you can in any way relate with spiritual lostness spiritual dryness being fragile having faced a storm or maybe someone in this room is personally in the midst of a storm
[00:35:36] If you can relate in any way, this message, this benediction is for you.
[00:35:43] The big idea, a benediction emphasizing how God can put you back together to do great things.
[00:35:53] He can restore you.
[00:35:55] He can mend you.
[00:35:56] He can heal you for the purpose of doing great things.
[00:36:02] We'll say a prayer, then we'll read the passage.
[00:36:09] Heavenly Father, I thank you for the gift of your word.
[00:36:11] I pray as we address this topic, as we read this benediction that through your Holy Spirit you speak to our hearts and our minds, that you help us gain a stronger understanding of what you have to say.
[00:36:29] Help us as we seek to understand not only the context but how it's relevant today that we can learn but we can also grow.
[00:36:41] and draw closer to you we give this time to you now and pray these things in jesus name amen hebrews 13 verses 20 and 21 now may the god of peace who brought back from the dead our lord jesus the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant make you complete in everything good so that you may do his will working among us that which is pleasing in his sight
[00:37:10] Through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever.
[00:37:17] Amen.
[00:37:18] This is the word of the Lord.
[00:37:22] And I want to emphasize three aspects of this benediction.
[00:37:27] Three messages.
[00:37:29] Three words that you find in this benediction.
[00:37:32] The first being this.
[00:37:34] It's a benediction of peace.
[00:37:38] This is a benediction
[00:37:39] For those whose world has been shaken, for those who in a moment of humanness perhaps have second-guessed your faith or the power of God or the promises of God, for those who in a moment of fear maybe have caved into the pressures of culture or failed to trust in God's Word, for those in a moment of weakness maybe losing focus in your faith,
[00:38:09] We're falling back into your old patterns of life.
[00:38:14] This is a benediction for those who've been shaken by the storms of life.
[00:38:18] Maybe traumatized, grieved, maybe numbed in some way.
[00:38:25] If any of those descriptions apply to you, the author of Hebrews wants to remind you with this beautiful benediction that the God of peace can bring you back.
[00:38:38] Peace can mend your soul, can restore you, can heal you.
[00:38:47] You see, God is the source of peace.
[00:38:50] The biblical meaning, we often think of peace as tranquility, and there is that aspect.
[00:38:55] Peace does speak to tranquility, but it goes far deeper.
[00:39:01] The Old Testament, it's the same concept as the Old Testament, Shalom.
[00:39:04] You've heard the term Shalom.
[00:39:06] Peace be with you.
[00:39:07] That goes deeper.
[00:39:09] Shalom can be defined as completeness, soundness, wholeness, well-being.
[00:39:17] This type of peace is the intrinsic character of God.
[00:39:23] God is peace.
[00:39:26] We're getting close to the Advent season.
[00:39:28] Isaiah 9-6, very famous prophecy, and it describes Jesus, the promised Messiah, as the Prince of Peace.
[00:39:40] For some examples, I just want to show you how this term, this concept, the shalom, how it plays out, how it applies to our lives.
[00:39:47] In the Old Testament, one of my favorite verses in Scripture, some of you probably have this memorized.
[00:39:55] Any of you know Jeremiah 29.11?
[00:39:58] Very famous prophecy.
[00:40:02] I'll read it to you.
[00:40:04] Jeremiah 29.11, For I know
[00:40:07] The plans I have for you declares the Lord.
[00:40:11] Plans for welfare, that's the term shalom, it can be translated peace.
[00:40:16] Plans for welfare and not for evil to give you a future and to give you hope.
[00:40:24] Do any of you know the context for that famous verse?
[00:40:28] For I know the plans I have for you and to give you peace, shalom.
[00:40:36] It was God speaking through Jeremiah to a people who were about to go into Babylonian captivity.
[00:40:45] He's saying, don't worry.
[00:40:48] Peace be with you.
[00:40:49] I'm in control.
[00:40:51] I have plans for you and your family and generations beyond you.
[00:40:55] Trust me.
[00:40:58] Gonna read another famous passage or verse.
[00:41:02] John chapter 14, verse 27.
[00:41:06] These are the words of Jesus, quote, Peace I leave with you.
[00:41:12] My peace I give to you.
[00:41:13] I do not give to you as the world gives.
[00:41:17] Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not let them be afraid.
[00:41:24] You know the context for that verse?
[00:41:28] The disciples were in the upper room and they had been traumatized by the death of Jesus.
[00:41:35] Many of them, seeing Jesus going through his trial and being persecuted and spit upon and pinned to a cross, many of them left, fleed the scene.
[00:41:45] I think John was there with Jesus' mother.
[00:41:49] They're now, this is on the day of resurrection, they are in the upper room, doors are locked, drapes are drawn, they're afraid they might be next, and Jesus appears in his resurrected state and he's saying, Peace be with you.
[00:42:04] Again, he's
[00:42:05] Saying Shalom.
[00:42:08] Speaking of completeness, soundness, wholeness, well-being.
[00:42:12] Here at the end of Hebrews chapter 13, as we come to the climax or the conclusion or the exclamation point of this letter, in a storm-tossed world, the people here, the early believers, have been persecuted.
[00:42:27] Many were opposed to what they were doing.
[00:42:30] They may have had this feeling like the ship is going down.
[00:42:35] And they're being reminded that God is a God of peace.
[00:42:40] And he will heal your wounds.
[00:42:42] He will fill what was lacking.
[00:42:44] There's no storm that will sink you.
[00:42:49] May the God of peace be with you.
[00:42:55] Now if the God of peace is able to bring back from the dead our Lord Jesus, it says that in verse 20, he can certainly put you and me
[00:43:05] Back together.
[00:43:07] If you're struggling right now, if you're going through a dry patch, if you're facing a season that seems overwhelming, the God of peace can restore you.
[00:43:20] He can heal you.
[00:43:24] He can mend you.
[00:43:29] Peace in the biblical sense, shalom, denotes the quality of salvation God is able to give his people
[00:43:34] Obtained through victory in Jesus.
[00:43:37] Which leads to our next point.
[00:43:40] This is not only a benediction of peace, it's also a benediction of promise.
[00:43:47] For those who dare to trust.
[00:43:50] We talked about last week that concept of living above the line.
[00:43:56] We live a very short life and we want to make the most of our lives.
[00:44:01] And as we approach life, there are a lot of different ways we do that, to try to live a purposeful, meaningful life.
[00:44:07] And some people live by, you know, I am what I do.
[00:44:13] Or others, I am what people say about me.
[00:44:17] Making a name for yourself.
[00:44:18] Or for others, I am what I own, or I am what I possess.
[00:44:25] As we looked at that approach to life last week,
[00:44:28] it can be a real roller coaster it can be a real up and down and and our goal often is just if we can stay above the line we'll be okay in the end and that's the old way of living that's old covenant living we were given in the old testament the ten commandments the moral law and actually the ten commandments were given to us for our benefit it's all about loving god and loving people the ten commandments are for our good
[00:44:59] But the moral law has become, if you try to live the old way, by works, it's become a burden.
[00:45:06] Why?
[00:45:08] Because we're not perfect, and we can't live up to it.
[00:45:12] There's a new way of living.
[00:45:14] We see here, being addressed throughout the book of Hebrews,
[00:45:19] You know, the Old Testament covenants were based on our faithfulness to the law.
[00:45:23] Now, there is a prophecy, Jeremiah also, prophet Jeremiah, Jeremiah chapter 31, verse 33, I'm going to read this.
[00:45:33] This is from the word of the Lord, but through the mouthpiece of a human being inspired by the Holy Spirit.
[00:45:40] He says this, For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord.
[00:45:48] I will put my law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts and I will be their God and they will be my people.
[00:46:00] It was a promise of a new internal law to replace the old externals.
[00:46:09] It was a promise of forgiveness based on God's faithfulness rather than on our faithfulness.
[00:46:17] It was a promise that there would be a new day with the Messiah and that a relationship with God would be possible.
[00:46:25] We wouldn't need a human mediator like a Moses or a high priest.
[00:46:32] It was a promise that was fulfilled by Jesus, his death, and his resurrection.
[00:46:38] It's one thing for the promise to say he'll die for us on our behalf, but it's validated by the resurrection.
[00:46:45] God brought him back from the dead.
[00:46:52] So for those who dare to trust, God has secured this all through Jesus Christ on our behalf.
[00:46:59] He secured an eternal covenant.
[00:47:02] How so?
[00:47:03] If you read verse 20, it says, by the blood of the eternal covenant.
[00:47:11] The promises are sealed by Jesus' blood, ratified by his resurrection.
[00:47:16] Our new relationship is based on the atoning work of Jesus.
[00:47:24] Notice how the New Covenant is labeled.
[00:47:27] Does it say New Covenant here?
[00:47:32] Does it say New Covenant?
[00:47:35] There's a different phrase.
[00:47:38] It says Eternal Covenant.
[00:47:41] So you have the Old Covenant.
[00:47:43] and then the new covenant but what's being emphasized there won't be a new new covenant you know we're always new and improved there won't be that new new and improved toothpaste you know that no this is the new eternal covenant God does not go back on his word God's immutable a promise is a promise and it's been fulfilled in Christ and that cannot be taken away we say we serve a faithful God who's always true to his word
[00:48:13] So for those who dare to trust, he's the one that redeems, who restores, and can put you and me back together.
[00:48:24] One last point I want to make, and it's kind of naturally falling with the P's, right?
[00:48:28] We go from peace to promise, and I was like, how am I going to package this last one?
[00:48:32] Because it looks more like shepherd.
[00:48:34] You know, shepherd doesn't start with a P. However, however, if you look at the Greek...
[00:48:44] The term shepherd means pastor.
[00:48:48] Did you know that?
[00:48:50] So the Greek term for shepherd means pastor.
[00:48:54] So we lastly have a benediction of pastoral care.
[00:48:59] For those who struggle with guilt or shame.
[00:49:05] And there are many in this room that at some point in your life you made a commitment to follow Jesus.
[00:49:11] It may have been in Sunday school as a child or VBS.
[00:49:15] It may have been when you're older on a youth camp or mission trip.
[00:49:19] Maybe as an adult, maybe you went to a crusade or Billy Graham or some type of revival.
[00:49:23] Maybe it was in the privacy of your home while you're doing devotions.
[00:49:26] Or maybe it was actually a tragedy in life that refocused you and you thought, I can't do this on my own.
[00:49:32] But most of you in this room are watching on the live stream.
[00:49:35] There's a moment where you made that commitment.
[00:49:42] So this message is for those, this benediction, who's made the commitment but then maybe slipped.
[00:49:49] You're on fire at camp, you go back to school and two weeks later you're right back into all the same old stuff and now you're feeling that guilt again.
[00:49:56] Oh gosh, I promised at the campfire I was going to be a new person and now here I am doing all the same old stuff.
[00:50:03] This is a message, it's a benediction for those who feel that guilt or that shame, for those who struggle with that.
[00:50:10] God can equip you
[00:50:12] through the Great Shepherd.
[00:50:19] I'm going to read again from our passage.
[00:50:21] Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, how's Jesus described here?
[00:50:30] As the Great Shepherd.
[00:50:32] Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, may the God of peace make you complete.
[00:50:42] I think the NIV version or the ESV says equip you.
[00:50:47] It means the same thing.
[00:50:48] Make you complete.
[00:50:49] May the God of peace equip you in everything good so that you may do His will.
[00:50:55] And how is this possible?
[00:50:58] It says right here, through our Lord Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd.
[00:51:03] So to equip, to make you complete, means to repair, to restore,
[00:51:08] To mend, to make perfect, and if you do a word study of that, you can go all the way to this verse, Matthew chapter 4, verse 28.
[00:51:17] It uses the same term for equip.
[00:51:19] That term is used for mending nets within the context of fishing.
[00:51:26] You want to equip someone to fish back in biblical times?
[00:51:30] You need to untangle the nets, and if there's some repairs that needed to...
[00:51:34] that's the equipping that that's within that context that term equip means mend nets now if you turn to Galatians chapter 6 verse 1 the same term equip is used for restoring a church member who has sinned to restore them back into fellowship the same term used for mending nets is used for mending people
[00:52:05] To restore, to heal, to fix, to mend, to make perfect.
[00:52:11] That's a powerful, powerful aspect of this benediction.
[00:52:16] Kent Hughes, he was my pastor when I was in college, he writes, and some of his sermons are on a website, the Gospel Coalition, he had this to say about the benediction.
[00:52:29] He says, this is a request to put God's people back together
[00:52:35] In a way that equips them to do good works.
[00:52:40] So for the lost or the shaken, for those who are experiencing guilt or shame, this part of the benediction is to help put them back together.
[00:52:50] And I'll flesh this out too.
[00:52:52] Look at, Jesus made the claim himself, John chapter 10, right?
[00:52:56] He said, I am the good shepherd.
[00:53:01] For the Pharisees back then, that was very offensive.
[00:53:03] God in the Old Testament had identified himself as the Great I Am.
[00:53:07] Jesus is now claiming, I am, and he's attaching that to being a good shepherd.
[00:53:13] Well, in the Old Testament, it was David, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who had been a shepherd boy.
[00:53:19] He says, the Lord is my shepherd.
[00:53:23] I shall not want.
[00:53:24] We read this earlier.
[00:53:25] He maketh me to walk in green pastures.
[00:53:28] He leadeth me beside the still waters.
[00:53:30] God is shepherd.
[00:53:31] Jesus came to earth and said, I am the good shepherd.
[00:53:36] I know my sheep.
[00:53:38] I care for my sheep.
[00:53:39] He gave parables of going after the lost sheep.
[00:53:45] That was tied in with also going after the prodigal son, embracing the prodigal son who had come to his senses.
[00:53:57] So we see this aspect of the pastoral ministry of Jesus as a shepherd to mend, to heal, to help make perfect, to equip.
[00:54:10] So I want you to go home with this.
[00:54:13] One of the most powerful restorative passages in Scripture is where Jesus is having breakfast with his disciples in his resurrected state.
[00:54:24] They're eating fish.
[00:54:26] And he's wanting to equip Peter to be a leader in the church.
[00:54:32] Think about the context.
[00:54:35] Peter had denied his Lord three times.
[00:54:38] In fact, when Jesus was under trial and folks were like, are you connected with Jesus here?
[00:54:46] I don't know him.
[00:54:47] He even cursed, saying, I don't know the man.
[00:54:51] And the third time he denied Jesus,
[00:54:53] That's when the rooster crowed.
[00:54:54] And can you imagine the guilt and the shame?
[00:54:58] Can you imagine now when Jesus is saying, Peter, Petros, or Peter on this rock, Petros, I'm going to build my church.
[00:55:05] And Peter's thinking, I'm not worthy.
[00:55:09] He denied his Lord three times.
[00:55:13] Now within that context, what does Jesus say to Peter?
[00:55:22] He looks at him.
[00:55:23] Yes, I heard someone say it.
[00:55:25] Peter, do you love me?
[00:55:27] He's wanting to equip Peter.
[00:55:29] He's wanting to equip.
[00:55:30] He wants his heart to be mended like fishermen mend their nets.
[00:55:33] He's wanting him to be restored.
[00:55:35] He's saying, Peter, do you love me?
[00:55:37] How does Peter respond?
[00:55:41] Of course I do.
[00:55:41] Yes, I do.
[00:55:42] And he said, then feed my sheep.
[00:55:46] You know, like a seven-year-old lost in Disney World, sheep are helpless, right?
[00:55:51] I'm going to equip you to do ministry, pastoral care.
[00:55:57] And he asked it a second time.
[00:56:00] Peter, do you love me?
[00:56:01] He's like, of course I do.
[00:56:03] He said, tend my lambs.
[00:56:06] And then a third time.
[00:56:07] Why do you think three times?
[00:56:10] He denied him three times, his Lord.
[00:56:13] So the third time, you know, at this point, Peter's just grieved.
[00:56:17] Can you picture him just, oh gosh, you know, I just
[00:56:20] Overwhelmed with emotion, he said, Jesus, of course, I love you.
[00:56:26] And he said, feed my sheep.
[00:56:30] And again, he was mending him, restoring him, equipping him to be that rock, that pillar of strength.
[00:56:39] The Lord chooses to work in and through us.
[00:56:42] The Apostle Paul is in chains.
[00:56:45] You hear the Olympic athletes when they win the gold and they say,
[00:56:49] What do they say?
[00:56:50] The Philippians, what's the famous passage?
[00:56:54] I can do all things through Christ Jesus who gives me strength.
[00:56:58] And I guess you can apply that there.
[00:57:03] We often apply it as you can win the game or get the gold medal.
[00:57:07] But really, the context for that passage or that verse is the Apostle Paul chained to a prison guard saying, I can endure this.
[00:57:16] I'm going to trust in the Lord who's going to make it through.
[00:57:18] I can do all things through.
[00:57:19] He's in the midst of a storm saying, I can do all things through Christ Jesus who can give me strength.
[00:57:25] We serve a God who will help you through the storms.
[00:57:30] He has grace.
[00:57:32] He has mercy.
[00:57:33] He will equip you to continue, not just to survive, but to do everything good for His purposes.
[00:57:44] After we sing the final hymn, I'm going to read that benediction.
[00:57:46] It's going to be our benediction for this morning.
[00:57:49] And if it just touches one of you, maybe it's a direct message from God to someone in this room that you need that encouragement, you need that wholeness, you need that healing.
[00:57:58] Let's close this time in prayer.
[00:58:10] Heavenly Father, we are so grateful for who you are, what you've done on our behalf through your Son, Jesus Christ.
[00:58:19] Lord, great is thy faithfulness.
[00:58:23] Lord, on our own, we're like sheep without a shepherd.
[00:58:27] Lord, on our own, we're like branches cut off from the vine.
[00:58:35] Lord, I pray for the, maybe it's just one person in this room that just needs that message of encouragement that you are their peace.
[00:58:43] You are the God of peace.
[00:58:46] You desire for us to embrace that.
[00:58:49] Lord, you're a God of promises.
[00:58:53] You never turn back on your word, and the relationship we have for you is not based on our goodness, but on your faithfulness and your grace.
[00:59:04] And Lord, you're the, not only good, but the great shepherd, your son Jesus.
[00:59:14] The shepherd of our souls.
[00:59:17] Pastoral compassion and healing.
[00:59:20] Lord, I pray for the person that just needs that this morning.
[00:59:23] Restore their heart.
[00:59:24] Restore their soul.
[00:59:26] We close this service expressing gratitude and love for you.
[00:59:30] We pray all these things in Jesus' name.
[00:59:32] Amen.
[01:00:06] immediately following the service they'll be down in the fellowship hall the vision team will be there if anyone has some questions about the legacy campaign you have the opportunity we'll also do the same thing on tuesday night at seven o'clock for folks that couldn't make it today or can't stay after the service and as we leave this is your encouragement now may the god of peace
[01:00:29] Amen.
[01:00:31] Go in peace.

[01:01:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
of the Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit of the Father, Holy Spirit of the Son, Holy Spirit of the Holy Spirit,

[01:01:47] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
All I have needed thy hand hath provided.
[01:02:08] Great is thy faithfulness for me.

[01:02:37] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
of Christ Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Catholic Church, Catholic Church, Catholic Church, Catholic Church, Catholic Church, Catholic Church, Catholic Church, Catholic Church, Catholic Church, Catholic Church,
[01:03:43] of Christ Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Christ of Latter-day Saints

[01:04:13] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
of Christ Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
[01:05:03] The Gospel of the Lord
[01:05:32] In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
[01:05:56] Amen.
[01:06:13] In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
[01:06:43] Amen.
[01:06:44] Let us pray.